REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 133 



without great care 80 per cent, were carried from the fourth to the 

 fifth stage in large lots of several thousand. In addition to the 

 advantage in the matter of size, strength, and bottom-loving instinct, 

 which favors the fifth-stage lobsters, an additional advantage lies in 

 the fact that the duration of the fourth stage can be shortened by 

 abundant feeding. Doctor Emmel showed in a most convincing 

 manner that by feeding alone, all other conditions being identical, 

 the duration of this molt can be varied from an average of eleven to 

 an average of twenty-four days. 



Liberation of young lobsters. — Every visitor at the rearing plant 

 asks the embarrassing question, "What proportion of the liberated 

 lobsters live to grow up?" Only once was a definite and satisfactory 

 answer given to this question and that by a new recruit on his first 

 day's duty. 



In 1901 when the experiments began to indicate that a large num- 

 ber of lobsterlings could most likely be liberated from our establish- 

 ment, investigations were started to find out whether the physical 

 conditions of the waters of Narragansett Bay were such that the 

 young lobsters could live here throughout the year. Of this there is 

 now no doubt, for the specimens reared from the egg have year after 

 year been kept over winter in cars sunk or floated in the harbor at 

 Wickford. Several were kept for three successive years and finally 

 were lost through accident. 



EVIDENCE OF INCREASE IN LOBSTER SUPPLY. 



The young lobsters have been liberated mainly in the upper half 

 of Narragansett Bay, because for many years previous to our opera- 

 tions small lobsters have been conspicuously absent from these pre- 

 cincts, according to the statements of fishermen. Within the last 

 three or four years a great many reports have come in of small lobsters 

 from an inch to 4 or 5 inches in length being caught in the lobster 

 pots and escaping through the slats when the pots were drawn up; 

 also of small lobsters up to 8 inches in length dug out of the mud in 



