106 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF IXLAXD FISHERIES. 



question whether the regenerative power could be decreased by con- 

 tinuous mutilation, and the above residts are given rather as a matter 

 of incidental interest than as indicating a definite conclusion. 



V. Regexeratiox axd the Process of MorLTixo. 



The moulting process of the lobster is in itself a most fascinating 

 phenomenon. At certain more or less regular periods the lobster 

 removes not only the chitinous shell of his body, but also the entire 

 covering of all the appendages, eyes, and even the stomach, as a boy 

 might remove his old clothes for a brand new suit. In considering 

 this important as well as critical period in the lobster's life, the 

 question is suggested — ichat relations are there between the regenera- 

 tion of the thoracic appendages and the process of moidting . If, under 

 such circumstances, a limb did begin to regenerate and had only be- 

 come a small bud at the time of moulting, what would be its con- 

 dition after the moult? Would it continue after the moult merely as 

 a gro-uing bud, or would it be a functional appendage, i. e., have all 

 the acti^'ities of a fully developed limb? 



In the data collected on the relation of regeneration and the moult- 

 ing process the following interesting fact was obtained: In all the 

 observations made, not only upon the lobsters used in the experi- 

 ments, but also upon the lobsters at the hatchery, there was not one 

 instance in which a lobster came out of the moult with an appendage 

 which was in a non-functicnal condition. In other words, in every 

 case a regenerating appendage which continued through a moult 

 had all the motions and uses of a perfect limb, i. e., "it moulted 

 functional." The conclusion is, therefore, that a regenerating limb 

 which passes through an ecdysis always moults as a functional ap- 

 pendage. 



If this conclusion is correct, then two alternatives seem to pre- 

 sent themselves. Either a regenerating structure which has not 

 developed far enough to moult "functional" will be dropped during 

 the moult; or else the limb will only begin to regenerate when the 



