124 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



2. Natural Home and Migrations. 



The character of the shores where the lobster hves varies from 

 rocky and precipitious to sandy or muddy. During the winter the 

 lobsters probably retreat to deeper water and burrow in the mud, 

 since the fishermen find it necessary to gradually move their traps 

 farther off shore with the approaching winter. This migration to 

 deep water is not common to all lobsters, as we find some in holes 

 along the shores which are exposed by extreme low tides during the 

 winter months. 



With the return of spring and early summer the lobstermen move 

 their pots nearer shore. This movement of the lobsters to and from 

 shore is probably the whole extent of their migrations, and therefore 

 the restocking of the shores of a particular locality is possible. 

 Efforts are being made to get more exact data on migrations by 

 liberating tagged lobsters. Female lobsters, with eggs ready to 

 hatch, are most often caught on rocky bottoms; and lobsters ready 

 to shed, or those that have just done so, are most abundant on sandy 

 or muddy shores. Dutch Island Harbor in Narragansett Bay seems 

 to be a great shedding ground. 



3. Food. 



Although lobsters are called the "scavengers of the sea" and do 

 undoubtedly feed on dead fish, yet they seem to prefer recently 

 killed food. Rotten fish, while it probably attracts hungry lobsters, 

 is found to remain untouched, or is even pushed aside, by lobsters 

 in cars which have been reasonably well fed. Lobsters in their 

 natural homes undoubtedly have long intervals between meals, and 

 eat ravenously when any food is found. This will account for the 

 ease with which they are caught in traps. The food of the lobster 

 includes nearly all kinds of fish; whatever shellfish it can find, crabs, 

 and other invertebrates. Pieces of shell and pebbles are also found 

 in their stomachs. The material for the hardening of the shell is 



