286 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



detracting, serve to emphasize the influence of regeneration in length- 

 ening the molting period of these lobsters. 



The Influence of Variation in the Amount of Regeneration^ 

 AS Determined by Different Degrees of Injury, upon 

 THE Length of the Period Between Molts. 



In the preceding study of the effect of regeneration upon the rate 

 of molting it will be noticed that in all the experiments the mutila- 

 tions consisted in the removal of the two chelipeds, and that, conse- 

 quently, the amount of regeneration consisted only in the develop- 

 ment of these two limbs; i. e. the degree of injury and the resultant 

 amount of regeneration was constant. 



The results of these experiments show that the effect of regeneration 

 was to lengthen the molting period. In view of this fact the question 

 arises whether, with an increase in the degree of injury, or, in other 

 words, an increase in the amount of regeneration, there is also a 

 corresponding increase in the length of the molting period. 



a. Experiments. 



At the time when the following experiment was made it was so 

 late in the season that it was not possible to obtain lobsters which 

 were in the same stage as the specimens in the preceding experiments. 

 The only available source for material at this time was a group of 

 sixth stage lobsters which were being kept for a study of the effect 

 of regeneration upon the rate of growth. These lobsters had all 

 been mutilated in the fifth stage, but they had regenerated the 

 injured limbs and molted to the sixth stage in practically a normal 

 condition. From this group of lobsters 12 specimens were selected 

 which had all molted to the sixth stage at nearly the same time, 

 August 24 and 25. Since the observations on the group of lobsters 

 from which these specimens were selected were made but once a day. 



