22 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



ible one. For it is obvious that the separate parts of the great 

 hatchery are exposed on the water to rather large and irregular 

 motionS; although the relatively calm water of the protected Wick- 

 ford Harbor was chosen for the anchorage. 



This apparatus is utilized at the same time for the hatching of 

 the eggs and for the raising of the larvae, and has proved itself equally 

 good for both purposes. 



While in former years the number of the lobsters in the fourth 

 stage was not above 100, already in the year 1900, when the me- 

 chanical stirring of the water — at first by hand — was introduced 

 in Wickford, 3,425 lobsters of the fourth stage were obtained; but 

 in the following years, by the help of the above described mechanical 

 outfit, the number of lobsters in the fourth stage was: 



1901 8,974 



1902 27,.300 



1903 13,500 



1904 50,597 



1905 102.000* 



It should be mentioned that these figures are not the result of 

 an estimate, but that the larvae were counted singly after being 

 taken out of the hatching bags with a tea strainer. 



In order to pass a judgment giving due credit to the work of the 

 hatchery, one must know not only the number of the lobsters of 

 the fourth stage which are finally set free in open water, but also 

 the number of those hatched out, with which the rearing experi- 

 ments were made. But since these hatch out in the same hatch- 

 ing bags in which they are afterwards reared, only in a few cases 

 could an account be kept of the relation which the number of the 

 lobsters of the fourth stage held to that of the first stage. 



The following cases are reported by Dr. Mead : 



On June 7th and 8th, 1905, 20,000 new-born lobsters were counted 

 out into a hatching bag. The fourth or bottom-stage began to 



[* 1905, 103.572; 1906, 190,000, fourth stage. 25,000. fifth stage; 1907, 294,896.] 



