tlirough- more noultings than one hr-tched a rionth Ir.ter. I possess 

 no exact observt^tions regf.rding this und I have laade no coi.ipnrat- 

 ive experii.ients with certain indivic^uals. I believe, ho-TeArer, 

 that I'nn allov;ed, on the basis of lAy observations to decln.re as 

 generally accepted five castings dui'ing the first period; this 

 means that a lar-ru concludes this period in the 6th stage* But 

 on account of the larger size which cortsdn individuals can attain 

 I also consider it certain that six noviltings nay also occur and 

 that therefore in a few cases larvae can enter the 7th stage within 

 this period© Both these nurftiors, five and six, therefore j irnlicateB 

 the lowest and highest number of noultings that a lobster larva on 

 our Hest Coast passes through in the first year of life, greater 

 variaticins rr.y hardly occur noriially. 2j 



2/ Exceptionally, very late hatched larvae ca.n also only attain 

 the 5th stage with four noultings in their first period. 



'Jith grei ter certainty we can ansiver the question, rrhat size 

 the lobster larvae reach in their first periodo As I had the 

 occo-sion to 3bs3i--ve, it varies as a rule bet\:een 19 and 22 ;.m» I 

 have, howuverv also measured one snail lobster that was 26 nr.i» 

 (l inch) at the end of the first period; in all probrvbility it was 

 i:-- the 7th stage (Pl. II, Fig« 7). Revenue officer Evertsen reports 

 .that he also observed in the rearing boxes in the beginning of v;irter 

 young lobsters of this size (hovrever this inj'ori.r.tion depends only 

 upon estinrtes by eye)o The first Jiention^d sizes can be considered 

 as the nost coranon. It can- be added that one young lobster that vras 

 roared in the Biologict.l Station ner sured about 19 raao after the 

 last- shedding in the first year and in the 6th stage© A second died 

 on 37th Decenber in its 5th stage, IS-jg- nrie long* 



The ilrst grovfth period lasts on our ITest Coast approxinately 

 four nonths ,nr.mely fron the ndddle of July when the larvae conncnce 

 to hatch to the niddle of Novetibers Only except i-nially is this 

 tine exceeded and oftentines the period also does not last as long. 

 L!eD-vvr';?iile the growth period for various- indi\'iduals is of various 

 lengths J since indeed a part of the larvae hatch at the beginning 

 of Julyj tlie r-.ajf^rity however only at the end of July and beginning 

 of August- or still laters For the najority 3-3-|- nonbhs v:ell re- 

 presents the nornL'l po-riod; for Ir.te hatched lai'vae it is Eone^;hat 

 shorter and for early hatched larvae sliglitly longer* 



.Yfnat xve have said here on the gr'.rjth of the lobster larvae in 

 their first grovv-th period nxiy be stated briefly thus: On the Ilor- 

 vreg ian Vi ost Cpast tiie first thr ee st ages— -larval stages—occupy fron 

 26 to 30 days, ;-n the^Sc^ath_j:ind Vl^st 6--jasts_ in s Dnewhot sliorter t_lrie 

 *(24 days r.cc ^rdirig to Da:mevig;-ii T/Tith especially suitable tenpsr- 

 conditions iThe^ dev^oJjOpnental period^ on o\vc vrest 'Coast iriay f Iso be 

 shorter* i.foer the snail lobster has_gi2^n up^^tiio- free sTnrinj-jng 

 ways T^f life and has becoi.ie a botton aninal, the growth continues 

 urrbil with the beginning of vd^cr j__Wietenperf±TU:"c of t he sea w f-.+ er 



