The crustaceans continually increased in n-unhers, they vrere 

 rlifficult to cTis lodge c'urinr; clenninr: operations since they v/ould 

 then enter in cracks and seai.is and could not be reached. These 

 seans vere tarred shut in 1920 so that this handicap vias also 

 overconco ■" . 



jfcny larvae are lost by canniLalisia, especially v/hen they 

 becoue a little older and various ages are present aiioiXe; theno 

 To circuiovent this, the sKall tanks vrore constructed. It is 

 possible to supply those with larvae in one day by means of a 

 small number of seed lobsters and since, the larvae emerj^e almost 

 exclusively in the evenin;; the difference in age is only an hour 

 or tT/TOe Yet this does not solve the question because at the 

 first moulting already it becomes clear that they do not all 

 moult at the same rate; between the advent of the, first 2d stage 

 (larva) and the passing of the last 1st stage (larva) tv/o or tliree 

 days generally elapse; during succeeding moultings this difference 

 becomes greater still and, after the <l:th stage begins to appear, 

 one irrust still vmit a few 'days before releasing can start since 

 even after six days there still remain some in the 3d stage. 

 Thus, even if no age difference exists there are differences in 

 cievelopment and prrctically chic.ys one ur.y find, larvae of i:iore 

 than one stage in a rearing tank* Repeatedly therefore one v/ill 

 see larvae sv/irjr.iin^ aroiind with a captured colleague or one finds 

 the remains of half eaten larvae, front ends generally since even 

 a yoving lobster is able to appreciate the best partst 



To take direct measures against this is im-i^ossible, probably 

 the rate of dcvelopm.ent of the various specimens will becom.e more 

 equal as xrc succeed in improving the livin.; conditions of the 

 lainrace 



In closing I want to point o\ifc the brilliant results obtained 

 of late years in Wiokford, Rhode Island. In about 1900 a start 

 vras made there with the practical development of scientific experi- 

 ments o In that year 3425 larvae wore grown to the 4th stage, this 

 nurier moionted regularly imtil in 1910 the numl-ier was 511,274. 

 Accordinj^ to inf orria.t i on received personally the million r^frk vms 

 exceeded for the first time in 1920. Sixty tanks are in use there 

 of aTJ-oroximately the diriensicns of our oldest, large model. The 

 results of the yearly planting of such great nimbers of young lob- 

 sters mxide themselves felte Catches had diminished, as elsewhere, 

 with frightening speed, but after releasing larvae in the 4th stage 

 on r large scale, they started to increase.' In 1904 the catch was 

 only 376,994 Ibse or 45 lbs. per pot 3 Such a small catch has not 

 been repeated since 1904} in 1913 the ct.tch mounted to 1,210,094 

 lbs. and in 1919 to 1,634,271 Ib-s. or 78 lbs, per pot. 



These figures speak for themselves but a still surer proof of 

 the groat value of artificial prcpaga.tion is that the fishermen 



142 



