4 
“REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 39 
enemies. The fact that the young fry swim aimlessly about and 
are carried hither and thither by the currents constitutes the first 
difficulty, for when they are placed in an enclosure provided with 
a sereen which will allow a free circulation of water from the out- 
side, but shuts out the enemies, the fry are carried against the 
sereen and die. The second difficulty is quite as serious, and is 
due to the fact that at certain times the fry have a tendency to 
leave the surface and sink to the lower depths. This tendency re- 
sults in tremendous mortality, for the fry settle into the pockets 
at the lowest point and smother, or become foul with the sediment 
and unused food. A large number of experiments were made to 
discover a means of obviating these difficulties, and gradually, 
towards the end of the first season, we, came to the conclusion that 
the secret of success in rearing the young lobsters was to keep 
the water in continuous motion. This accomplishes two things: 
it prevents the fry from settling into pockets where they smother 
or devour one another, and it keeps food in suspension so that 
the fry can obtain it. 
To prove the correctness of this conclusion with the material and 
apparatus at hand, it was decided to experiment with the lobsters 
which were at that time in small bags. Accordingly, the force at 
the laboratory was divided into watches, and the water in the bags 
was thenceforth stirred with an oar continuously, night and day, 
for a week. The result was ample proof that the conclusion was 
correct. 
EXPERIMENTS IN 1901. 
Stirring- Apparatus.—The evident efficiency of the crude method 
of stirring in maintaining the life of the young fry naturally sug- 
gested that during the next season a mechanical contrivance 
should be arranged to do the work. This suggestion was carried 
into effect, and the results thereby attained during the past sum- 
mer of 1901 have fulfilled expectations. They have demonstrated 
adequately the feasibility of protecting lobster fry through the 
extremely critical period of their early life. 
