RET'OKT OF OOMMISSIONEK OF FISH AND FI8IIEKIKS. 



119 



times as many at the various Farallon rookeries. Probably half the sea lions of 

 California are found at the Farallon Islands, and it seems doubtful whether the total 

 number on the coast amounts to 5,000. 



During the breeding season of 1901 there were about 400 adults at Ano Nuevo 

 rookery. The larger males began leaving in July, and were followed ])y the younger 

 males, and these by the cows and pups. The rookery was entirely deserted by the 

 first of Septend)er, and remained so till the niiddle of the following May, the begin- 

 ning of the next breeding season. Such was not the case with the Pnrissima rookery, 

 however. This was not an important breeding place, though a few sea-lion pups 

 were found there in 1901 and also in 1902. 



The Piiris.siiiia rookery is located on a single flat-topped rock lying 

 close to a high bliifl', affording an excellent opportunity for observa- 

 tion. Mr. James Mosconi, an employee of the Light-House Service, 

 was engaged to make a count of the sea lions on this rookery at regu- 

 lar intervals, and his lijrures are as follows: 



1902. 



January 16 16 



January 31 42 



February 15 



February 28 68 



March 15 7 



March 31 29 



April 15 

 April 30 

 May 15. 

 May 31. 

 June 15 

 June 30 



THE REARING OF LOBSTERS. 



Profiting by the experience gained from the previous season's obser- 

 vations and experiments in rearing lobsters, the Commission, during the 

 spring and summer of 1901, made substantial progress in this impor- 

 tant work. It having been shown that the station at Wickford, R. I., 

 on Narragansett Bay, afforded better facilities and conditions for lob- 

 ster rearing than did any of the other stations occupied in 1900, the 

 experiments of 1901 were chiefly conducted at that place, where, as 

 heretofore, the Commission cooperated with the Rhode Island Fish 

 Commission, represented by Dr. A. D. Mead. 



The essential factors in lobster rearing are (1) to keep the larval 

 lobsters in motion so they will not settle to the bottom of the retaining 

 vessel and there suffocate or devour each other, and (2) to provide them 

 with suitable food so they will grow and molt quickly and take on the 

 habits of the adults. The vessel in which young lobsters may be best 

 held was devised only after much study and experimentation. 



The following report of Dr. H. C. Bumpus, who directed this work, 

 may be advantageously quoted as to methods and results: 



Large salt-water ponds, small pools, artificial pools made by the building of dikes, 

 inclosures made of wire screen and floated, and of wire screen and submerged, huge 

 (canvas boxes and cars, cars of scrim floated and anchored at the bottom, glass jars 

 of various sizes, running water in vessels of wood, glass, porcelain, and stone, and 

 various rotary devices, all proved efficient agents for the killing rather than for the 

 rearing of lob.ster fry. After many experiments a relatively simple and inexpensive 

 device was adopted. Several bags of scrim about 3 feet in diameter and 4 feet in 



