REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 177 



sters were placed and through which (when sunk two-thirds their depth) the 

 water made easy circulation by means of the screened sides. The cars were 

 provided with hinged covers which served to protect the young lobsters from 

 both the sun's rays and waves in periods of rough weather. 



These storage cars, as described by Dr. Mead, were merely "large wooden 

 boxes provided with sandj gravel, seaweed, etc., to simulate as closely as 

 possible the natural envirormient. The sides were made of galvanized iron 

 screening, which allowed free circulation of the water. During the summer 

 the cars were suspended from the houseboat or from floats so that the water 

 in them was about 18 inches deep. In the autumn they were provided with 

 tight fitting covers and were sunk in the channel, in from 8 to 10 feet of water, 

 and left undisturbed until spring. The lobsters were frequently fed during 

 the summer, but in the winter no food was given them, although they may 

 have obtained some from the water or from the animals which grew in the 

 car. * * * xhe question at once arises, does the rate of growth of those 

 lobsters kept in confinement fairly represent the rate of growth in their 

 natural environment? It is impossible to answer this question definitely 

 at the present time, but the following facts have a bearing upon it: The cars 

 seemed to furnish a natural enviromnent, for not only were the lobsters in 

 a healthy condition, but seaweed, oysters, clams, shrimps, mussels, tunicates, 

 barnacles, various specimens of marine worms and other animals, grew inside 

 the cars as rapidly and as normally as in other places." Mead ('03) . 



Thus to summarize: September finds the average lobster hatched the 

 previous summer in the ninth stage of his existence, his length at this 

 time being 32 mm. From observations on large numbers of adolescent 

 lobsters we have deduced the probable average increase for stages 4 to 12 

 as 18.4 per cent. We know that the average size for 79 lobsters, aged 

 approximately one year, is 53.5 mm. Applying our estimated per cent, 

 of increase we deduce that a lobster one year old is generally in the 

 twelfth stage. The three molts between the ninth and the twelfth 

 stage take place between the middle of September and the middle of 

 the following May, for records of 23 lobsters show that they had 

 attained at the latter date (when approximately 11 months old), 

 ^%3 of the year's growth. From these considerations it becomes 

 evident that the average lobster passes into the tenth stage in the latter 

 part of September, and into the eleventh stage during the latter part of 



