162 KKl'UKT OK COJIMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The Sand Dab (riiinoiuTte>i iikiciiIhIiih). 



Oil Miiy 12, 1890, Mr. Edwards secured jiboiit 1()(I,(>(M) e-;-;s ol" this 

 species, Avhieli, in a teini)eraturc of 51"^ to 51 ' F., liatchcd on the fiftli 

 day, with a h)ss of ouly 10 jmr ceut. Tlic tidal cod jar was used for 

 this imrpose. The eggs are buoyant, and about 24 are contained in a 

 linear inch. 

 The Fc;iir-Spotted Flounder {I'araJichthijH ohJoiitjits). 



Of tills species, 50,000 eggs were obtained on May 15, 1800. They 

 are of the same size as the eggs of thesan<l dab, are also buoyant, and 

 hatched in the sanie length of time, but Avith a. loss of 50 per cent. 

 Tlie tidal cod jar was employed. 



The Lobster {Uomarus americanu'i). 



In iirevious reports accounts have been given of the successful at- 

 tempts made to hatch lobster eggs which had previously beeu removed 

 from the swimmerets of the jiarent, but at the same time attention was 

 called to the difficulty of rearing the embryos in captivity, owing to 

 their propensity to devour one another, notwithstanding great care 

 was exercised in supj)lying them witli i)roper food. On tliis account the 

 embryos have generally beeu planted when only a few days old, but it 

 is considered that much better results could be accomplislied by couliu- 

 iiig them in tanks until they had reached an age of 4 or 5 weeks, wlien 

 they are better able to protect themselves against tlieir enemies. 



During 1800 and 1891 the hatching Avork was continued at Woods Holl 

 on a moderate scale, and at the same time careful experiments were 

 made to discover some way of keeping the larva' in tlieacpuiria without 

 tlie great mortality Avhich has hitherto occurred. ]Mr. Y. N. Edwards 

 also made some interesting observations regarding the eggs and the 

 si/e at Avhich the adult iirst becomes mature, and imi)ortant studies re- 

 specting the. lireeding habits and life history of the species Avere under- 

 taken by I'rof. E. 11. Herrick, of Adelbert College, and Prof. H. 0. 

 Bumpus, of l>rown University. Prof. Ilerrick first turned his attention 

 to tliis matter during the summer of 1880, and in the folir»wiiig year 

 arrangements Avero made Avith him to j)repare a comprehensive mono- 

 graph covering the entire subject, Avliich Avill probably require several 

 years I'or its coijiphition. l*rof. Biimpus Avas at the station in the spring 

 (►f 1800. I'rdiminary reports have been published by Prof. Herrick in 

 the Johns Hopkins University Circnlar No. 80, 1800, and No. 87, 1801, 

 the latter containing the tAvo foUowing papers by him, namely: " Notes 

 (tn the habits and larval stagtis of tlie American lobster," and '' The 

 reprodiictiv«; (tigans mid early stages of develoi)iiicnt of the American 

 lobster." 



l^'roin the in(|uiries made up to this <late some A'^ery valua)>le deduc- 

 tions have been reached. Tlie fa<;t that the eggs laid during the sum- 

 mer are carried by the parent until the folloAviiig spring or summer 

 before hatching, a conclusion reached by the writer IVom his experi- 

 ments ill 1885, has been proved conclusiA'^ely. During 1889, eggs Avero 



