REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 131 



depletion, but excessive fishing is the most important. The problem 

 of lobster preservation, therefore, resolves itself into the protection 

 of the lobster from its natural enemies at the critical periods of its 

 life, and also in regulating and restricting the fishing. 



II. Methods Employed to Prevent Extermination. 



As early as the decerase in the number of lobsters was observed, 

 some 70 years ago, various States and the general government began 

 to contrive means to prevent the decrease and, if possible, to increase 

 the supply of this "king of Crustacea." Naturally the methods 

 which had proved satisfactory in the case of fishes were first used 

 for the lobster, i. e., legal restricting of the fishing and artificial 

 hatching of the eggs. These two methods will be considered briefly, 

 and then will follow a somewhat detailed description of the scheme 

 of hatching and rearing so successfully developed by the Rhode 

 Island Fish Commission. 



A. LEGAL restrictions. 



1. Protection of Egg Lobsters. One of the first laws enacted for 

 the protection of the lobster is that which imposes a fine on any one 

 retaining or destroying lobsters bearing spawn. The value of this 

 law is apparent to any one, especially considering the fact that 

 lobsters carry their eggs for eleven months before hatching. Un- 

 fortunately this law can be quite easily evaded by scraping off the 

 eggs. 



,, 2. Protection of Immature Lobsters. An equally early law of 

 easily recognized value is known as the "short lobster law." A 

 fine is placed upon the retention of lobsters under a certain length. 

 The idea in the framing of this law was to enable the lobster to reach 

 maturity and spawn at least once before it was lawful to capture it. 

 The legal length in various states ranges from 9 to 10 J inches. As 

 was seen in the paragragh on sexual maturity, the lobster in Narra- 



