12 



INLAND FISHERIES. 



To show the comparative shipments over the Old Colony Steam- 

 boat line we continue our table. 



Year. Fish. 



1886 



1887 16,657 



1888 15,038 



1889 19,306 



1890 8,933 



1891 18,032 



1892 26,832 



1893 24,452 



1894 17,769 



1895 24,622 



1896 ... 20,425 



LoBSTEKS. Total. 



17,434 



834 17,491 



1,161 16,194 



2,047 21,353 



2,650 11,583 



2,204 20,236 



2,123 .... 28,955 



1,399 25,851 



2.392 21,161 



2 119 26,741 



1,728 22,153 



LOBSTERS. 



The last has not been a very productive season for lobsters. 



We have retained a number of egg lobsters until they hatched, 

 but have not made any attempt to hatch by artificial incubation, 

 being satisfied by past experience that the w^aste by that method 

 is too large to justify its continuance. The claims made for the 

 incubators of hatching 90 per cent., we feel sure could only be 

 made by rough estimate and no allowance can be made for large 

 numbers that die (before they are removed from the incubator) or 

 before they are liberated. 



That the method in use at Wood's Hole is much more success- 

 ful we cannot doubt, but that any method can be made to ap- 

 proach that of nature we cannot l^elieve. And as it is ^Dossible to 

 retain the egg lobsters until the eggs are hatched, we are very 

 much in favor of that method as the most practical one of aiding 

 nature to preserve the product of the eggs. 



The following article taken from the Spectator has so pertinent 

 an application to our fisheries, that we give it here with our hearty 

 endorsement, and commend its teachings to all having to do with 

 the fisheries, in eft'orts for their promotion : 



