182 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



the average per cent, of gain per stage for lobsters about 6 inches in 

 length. 



Table No. 13. 



Data on rate of growth of lobsters between o and 6 inches raised at Wickford. 



*A lobster which had been measured for other purposes. 



These observations would indicate that the average per cent, of in- 

 crease in length for 5 to 6 inch lobsters may he somewhat less than for 

 lobsters in earlier stages (1 to 17). In all probability the lobsters which 

 gave an average of 122 mm. (Table No. 10 B, column No. 4) October 

 4, molted once more before the last of November. Unfortunately no 

 further records of these lobsters were kept. We know, however, that 

 normally they will not molt again until the following April. From 

 these considerations it appears reasonable to conclude that a young 

 lobster passes its third winter in the eighteenth stage, length 141 mm. 

 (5f inches), molts again in the spring, probably in April, and by June 

 1 (when approximately three years old) is in its nineteenth stage and has 

 an average length of 162 mm. (6^ inches). 



In the rate of growth of lobsters over 6 inches in length we may ex- 

 pect to find a still smaller percentage of increa.se at each molt. Our 

 data in this case, however, is somewhat limited. Observations upon 

 15 young lobsters, whose length varied between 5%6 and 7i%6 

 inches, gave results which are embodied in the following table: 



