REPORT OF COMMISSIOXERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 91 



blade of eelgrass or other object. Ver}^ few minutes would be 

 required for them to establish themselves in their bottom life. 



The chief advantages which the fifth-stage lobsters possess over 

 the fourth stage, aside from the fact of their being older and stronger, 

 are as follows: 



The instinct to seek shelter is stronger. 



The swimming habit is almost entirely abandoned, and propor- 

 tionately the instinct to crawl about is more strongly developed. 



The claws are used more effectively as defensive weapons. 



When liberated they seek the bottom more quickly, and for this 

 reason there are fewer chances of being devoured by fishes. 



Number of Fourth-stage Lobsters 'per Egg Lobster.— The method 

 usually employed to demonstrate the economy of our rearing plant 

 has been to get percentages from certain counted lots. From a lot 

 of 1,000 first-stage lobsters more than 50 per cent, have been carried 

 to the fourth stage, and over 48 per cent, from 20,000 lots. While 

 this is a very exact method of determining the efficiency of the plant 

 in rearing newly hatched lobsters, it does not, of course, take into 

 account the matter of hatching the eggs themselves. During the 

 past season we have further tested the efficiency of our apparatus 

 by ascertaining the number of fourth-stage lobsters that may be 

 obtained from a single egg-bearing female. 



The shipment of egg lobsters from Newport closed rather abruptly 

 the last of June. There were consequently no egg lobsters on hand 

 when through the courtesy of the Connecticut Fish and Game Com- 

 mission we received a number from Noank. These were of medium 

 size and possessed an average number of eggs in quite good condi- 

 tion. From 56 of these lobsters 84,896 fourths were obtained. 

 This makes an average of over 1,500 fom-ths per egg lobster. It is 

 safe to assume that, taking everything into account, this is an average 

 number that may be obtained under normal conditions from the 

 method as developed at present, provided the eggs are in good 

 condition. 



