HABITS AND GROWTH OF YOUNG LOBSTERS, 
AND 
EXPERIMENTS IN LOBSTER-CULTURE. 
A.D. MEAD. 
The observations and experiments recorded in the following 
pages are a continuation of those made in the season of 1900, an 
account of which was published in the last report. The work 
during the past two seasons has been carried on at the floating 
laboratory of this commission, located at Wickford, R. 1., in 
co-operation with the United States Commission of Fish and 
Fisheries. 
It was the original object of this investigation to become thor- 
oughly acquainted with the habits and peculiarities of lobsters 
from the time of hatching to the fourth stage, and thereby to 
discover a means of rearing them until they reached this stage, 
when they can be set free with far greater chances of living than 
they would have if liberated immediately after they are hatched. 
The results of the first year’s work were described in the previ- 
ous paper, under the following headings, and a brief summary of 
these results is necessary before we proceed with the experiments 
of the past summer : 
¢ 
1. What changes in structure occur in early development ? 
2. What is the duration of the first three stages ? 
3. What are the general habits of life in the first four stages ? 
4, What is the best method of supplying food ? 
5. What is the best means of protecting the fry in the three 
stages ? 
