INLAND FISHEllIES. 69 



apart by the smallest fry. This diet also seems the best suited to 

 the lobster«s digestiou. 



Two precautious should be observed iu feediu^- with this or with 

 auy other food except liviu"- orgauisms : lirst, the food particles 

 must be kept suspeuded by stirring- or by mixing with air so that 

 the lobster cau readily hud them ; and, second, the food remaiuiug 

 over must uot be allowed to decay. In the experiments of last 

 summer the fry were fed twice a day. 



There is oue habit of the fry wdiicli makes the question of ample 

 food supply especially important, their atrocious cannibalism. 

 From the moment they are hatched, thi"oughout the early stages 

 of life, their affection for one another takes this disgusting form. 

 The onW way to prevent them from destroying one another is to 

 give them an abundance of food, and in such a manner that they 

 will take it iu preference to other lobster-fry. 



5. What is the hest means of protectuKj the fry ijuring the first 

 three stages f — There are two main difficulties in the way of provid- 

 ing a suitable enclosure for the fry which will allow them sufficient 

 freedom, and which wdll at the same time confine them and protect 

 them from enemies. The fact that the young fry swim aimlessly 

 about and are carried hither and thither by the currents consti- 

 tutes the first difficulty, for when they are placed in an enclosure 

 provided with a screen which will allow a free circulation of water 

 from the outside, but shuts out the enemies, the fry are carried 

 against the screen and die. Such an experiment was described in 

 the report of last year l)y Prof. Bumjms. The second difficulty is 

 (piite 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, 

 as described on page G5. Many of the earlier experiments failed 

 on account of this characteristic of the fry. 



The endeavor was made to rear them iu large cars, such as were 

 used at Wood's Hole for holding cod, but jtrovided, of course, 

 with screen sides. This and other similar experiments failed, be- 

 cause the lol)sters Avould be carried against one side by the tide 

 and there gradually sink to the bottom, where they became foul 



