REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 71 



The Migration of Adult Lobsters Along the Coast, and to and 

 from Deep Water. — These are extremely important questions, in 

 view of the relations of the fisheries of adjoining stations. Migra- 

 tions of both kinds doubtless occur, but to what extent, and for 

 what reasons, is not understood. Off the shores of Nova Scotia 

 and Maine the lobster-fishing smacks follow the seasonal migra- 

 tion to and from the cars, and it is said that a " late season " re- 

 tards the approach of lobsters toward the shore in the spring. On 

 the other hand, winter catches near shore are often considerable, 

 and male and female lobsters sometimes differ in the extent of 

 their movements. It is not impossible, moreover, that the ap- 

 parent disappearance from certain localities may be due in part to 

 a sort of hibernation. 



Very interesting information has been obtained in regard to the 

 movements of egg lobsters, liberated from Woods Holl.* Four 

 hundred seventy-nine lobsters, from which the eggs had been 

 removed, were tagged and liberated from several points near 

 Woods Holl. Later, seventy-six of these were recaptured by 

 fishermen, and the copper tags returned. Many other tagged 

 specimens were doubtless caught, which were not heard from, 

 and some lobsters probably moulted, and so lost the tags. 



The data gained by these experiments, however, showed great 

 variation in the movements, and a remarkable rapidity of migra- 

 tion in certain cases ; while many of the lobsters were recaptured 

 in the same locality three or four weeks after they were liberated, 

 others had travelled at an average rate of a mile a day for ten to 

 twelve days. One, for example, was liberated at Woods Holl, 

 July 2, and was caught at Cuttyhunk, twelve miles distant, on 

 July 13. It had travelled twelve miles in eleven days. Whether 

 these specimens were seeking better food, warmer water, deeper 

 water ; whether they w T ere following a general direction, or were 

 impelled by a home instinct, cannot at present be said with cer- 

 tainty. 



*II. C. Bumpus, on " The Movements of Certain Lobsters Liberated at Woods IIol! During' 

 the Summer of 1898." Bulletin of U. S. P. ('.. 1899. 



