REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 19 



ism, which is not to be lessened by a plentiful supply of food, as well 

 as the perishing of numerous specimens in moulting, have been the 

 principal impediments to the success of the culture experiments 

 which were carried on with the same zeal in the United States as in 

 Europe — here especially in Norway. 



The Norwegian investigator, Appellof, wlio has many times re- 

 ported his experiments in the '' Aarsberetninger der Selskab for 

 de norske Fiskeriers Fremme," tells us that the first two moultings 

 (to the first and second life-stage) usually went smoothly, while the 

 two following demanded an enormous sacrifice. With the exercise 

 of the greatest care he succeeded in one case in bringing over, out of 

 a large number of larva^, 1,500 into the second stage, and from them 

 400 into the third stage, and finally 100 into the fourth stage. 



It seemed as if the difficulties present were insurmountable, and 

 that after all it would be the most profita]:)le to put into the open 

 water, with the least possible losses, the artificially hatched lobster 

 larvae directly after hatching out. 



But in spite of all failures, the breeding experirrients were con- 

 tinued most zealously, especially by the Americans; and from that 

 quarter the announcement was made to the world, a few year's ago, 

 that the continued efforts had at last been successful in finding a 

 practical way for the raising of young lobsters. Already in my re- 

 port, mentioned at the beginning, on the Fishery Exhibit in St. 

 Louis C'Mitteilungen," volume for 1905, p. 278), I brought out what 

 grave douljts these reports on the results of breeding b}' Americans 

 had met at the outset, especially among all those who, like myself, 

 had become convinced of the difficulties in the case. But now, 

 since I have seen, at the floating station of the Rhode Island Com- 

 missioners of Inland Fisheries, at Wickford, near Providence, Rhode 

 Island, the palpable proofs, can I no longer exclude the conviction 

 that the perseverance and ingenuity of the director of the station 

 has succeeded in solving the difficult problem of lobster culture. 



The credit for this belongs to Dr. A. D. Mead, a professor in the 

 Anatomical Department of Brown Uni^'ersity in Providence, R. I., 



