INLAND FISHERIES. 71 



iu oue position, even if uot l)l()\vu ont of tlie. water, and the con- 

 ditions are very trying- to tho ^'ouni;- fry. If heavier wei^-hts are 

 put on, to hohl the l)ag-s in place, pockets are formed where the 

 weights are attached, and into these pockets the fry sink, together 

 with particles of food, etc., and a high rate of mortality ensues. 

 The most serious condition is a dead calm, for this is almost sure 

 to allow the bottom of the bags to sag- into pockets even when 

 lig-ht weights are used, and thus sooner or later the young sink 

 into these pockets. Weights fastened on the sides instead of on 

 the bottom obviate this difficulty to some extent, but even then 

 pockets will at some time be formed. 



After making numerous experiments and watching the results 

 for about five weeks, we gradually came to the conclusion that the 

 secret of success in rearing the young lobsters was to keep the 

 Avater in continuous motion. This accomplishes two things : it 

 prevents the fry from settling into pockets to 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, on July 6, to experiment 

 with lobsters which w^ere at that time in small bag-s. Accordingly 

 the force at the laboratory was divided into watches, and the water 

 in the bags was thenceforth stirred with an oar continuously until 

 July 12. The result was ample proof that the conclusion was 

 correct. There were two lots of lobsters which received this 

 treatment, namely, experiments 9 and 10 (tables on page 78). 

 Neither of these lots was considered to be as promising as the 

 averag-e. However, from No. 9 there were obtained 748 lobsters 

 in the first stage. This is a larger number than were obtained in 

 any other experiment, either at Wickford, Wood's Hole, or in any 

 other station where lobster- culture has been tried, so far as I am 

 aware. From lot No. 10, 1519 were obtained in the fourth stage ; 

 but as oue of the bags was old and had a hole in it, the figures 

 fail to give a correct idea of the results of the experiment. One 

 of the most encouraging results of this method was the clean and 



