XLII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



were eggs found in the surface tow net used. Before coming to any 

 detiuite conclusions on this point, however, it would be necessary to 

 conduct a series of offshore towings, and to carefully examine the eggs 

 under a microscope in order to note their development, if impregnated, 

 and to compare it with that of eggs artifically treated. 



LohHters. — The Oranqnis, which had been engaged in collecting seed 

 lobsters and transferring them to Gloucester, was instructed to cooper- 

 ate with the Fish Haivl' on the arrival of the latter in Casco Bay. Dur- 

 ing the season 372 lobsters were received, from which 4,877,935 eggs 

 were secured, and 4,616,005 fry hatched and liberated 2 miles offshore, 

 directly in the center of the bay. The direction of the wind and the 

 current were considered in making the plants, so as to provide against 

 tlie fry being swept toward the shore. 



Experiments were also conducted in the holding of lobster fry. They 

 were placed in boxes with a good circulation of water, individually and 

 in lots of fifty, rock, gravel, and rockweed being provided so as to 

 imitate as nearly as possible the conditions of nature. They were fed 

 with towings from the surface of the water in the vicinity of the ledges. 

 It was soon found that they would not live under these conditions, and 

 they were removed to iioating boxes in the supply tank and overboard. 

 Notwithstanding these efforts it was impossible to keep them alive 

 longer than 13 days. Death was not caused by starvation, as their 

 stomachs were found to contain such food as copepods, diatoms, vege- 

 table debris, and fragments of algoi. In but few instances could the 

 mortality be attributed to cannibalism, as only one specimen of the 

 many examined was found to contain any portion of a lobster. It was 

 also noticed that those confined separately lived no longer than those 

 in lots of fifty. 



Toward the end of the season young lobsters in the second, third, 

 and fourth stages of molting appeared in the jars which contained 

 eggs and fry in the first stages. Most of these when first noticed must 

 have been three or four weeks old. As the increase in size became 

 apparent they were placed in a jar by themselves and fed on lobster 

 eggs. They were brought to Woods Hole on the return of the vessel on 

 July 31, but they all died the night of the arrival, probably because of 

 the change in the temperature of the water, which showed an increase 

 of 10°. They had passed the fourth stage and taken on the character- 

 istics of the adult 5 the largest were over five eightlis of an inch in 

 length. Of adult lobsters handled during the season, 332 were liberated 

 in open waters and 40 died in transj)ortation. 



Battery Station, Maryland (Alex. Jones in charge). 



Ice disappeared from the Susquehanna early in March, and, as reports 

 from the lower part of Chesapeake Bay indicated a very early season, 

 the station was gotten ready for operations by April 1, and on April S 

 the first lot of eggs were received. The weather turned cool, however, 

 and the temperature of the water remained so low that the full force of 

 employees was not taken on until April 19. From that date collections 



