302 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES, 



c. Discussion of Results. 



The results of this experiment furnish three points of comparison: 

 (1) the frequency of molting; (2) the increase in size; and (3) the 

 the combination of (1) and (2), or the rate of growth. 



(1) The Frequency of Molting. 



An examination of the data in Tables VII and VIII shows a 

 marked difference in the length of the molting periods for each stage 

 of normal lobsters in Group I, as compared with the corresponding 

 stages of the regenerating specimens in Group II. The average 

 length of the molting periods for the fourth, fifth, and sixth stages 

 are as follows: 



Fourth stage Fifth stage. Sixth stage. 



Group I, normal period 14.8 days 13.4 days 15.7 days 



Group II, regenerating period.. 18.9 days 16.0 days 18.0 days 



It is evident from a comparison of these periods that, at each 

 stage, the average length of the molting period for the regenerating 

 lobsters is much longer than the normal period. Accordingly, while 

 the normal lobsters molted from the fourth to the sixth stage in 

 43.9 days, on the other hand, the regenerating specimens required 

 52.9 days to molt to the same stage. In other words, the process 

 of regeneration delayed the frequency of molting to such an extent that 

 the length of the normal interval from the beginning of the fourth to the 

 beginning of the seventh stage was increased by over 20 per cent. 



(2) The Increase in Size. 



It may be seen from the tables that the final measurements on 

 December 2nd gave the following results for the average length of 

 the lobsters in Group I, normal specimens, 30.3 mm.; Group II, re- 

 generating specimens, 27.4 mm. In other words, at the end of the 

 experiment on December 2 the normal lobsters were 10.5 per cent, 

 larger than the regenerating lobsters. 



