viii DEPARTMEXT OF THE XAYAL liERYIGE 



8 GEORGE V, A. 1918 



the esffs, indeed, are often eaten by the female if unfertilized. In one case the egg's 

 did not adhere at all, but floated soft and jelly-like on the water. 



Moulting took place, though in some places the creatures did not survive, as 

 they were weak, and the materials for a new shell were lacking. Some lobsters 

 were blind, but moulting restored the sight; sea-weed growths often penetrated into 

 the eyes, and underlying tissues, which were thus destroyed. 



Of 47 females impounded in midsummer, 1914, 30 had extruded eggs by the 

 end of September, and on April 8, 1915, these 30 lobsters were all found bearing 

 fertilized eggs, showing that 64 per cent carried fertilized eggs from Jime, 1914, 

 to June, 1915, most of the eggs being extruded, however, in August. By the 7th 

 of July, 12 had hatched and got rid of the eggs, 12 bore eggs nearly in the hatching 

 stage, 2 had newly extruded eggs. On the 29th of July, 7 of the 12 bore new eggs, 

 and as they had already produced new eggs, there were thus 9 which proved that 

 annual spawning was true of these lobsters at any rate. 



The conclusion reached is that some lobsters are anniial, others biennial, spawners, 

 and others do not spawn even, biennially. 



Apart from the primary dbject of the Government pond, viz., saving berried 

 lobsters in the open fishing season and liberating them in the close season, a pond 

 of this nature may be used to secure intercourse between the two sexes, and increase 

 the production of fertile eggs. The author justly regards his results as very 

 important, when the production of fertile eggs resulted on placing 15 males in the 

 pond with 47 females, in 1914-15. 



A few more Government ponds might be bviilt along the Atlantic coast, to 

 extend the tests made at Long Beach, and promote beneficial results, viz., the 

 increase of egg-laying. The paucity of berried lobsters in the open sea, as compared 

 with the far greater percentage in the enclosure is obviously explained by the close 

 intercourse secured by impounding both sexes, as at Long Beach. 



III. THE PEARLY FRESH-WATER MUSSELS OF ONTARIO 

 (Mr. JoHX D. Detweiler. M.A.) 



The pearl-button industry depends upon material provided by pearly shells and 

 mussels, which occur in many Canadian rivers and lakes ; hence, the economic import- 

 ance of the research reported upon by the author. He describes his studies at the 

 Fairport station, Iowa, where these pearly mussels have received special attention. 

 Young mussels (glochidia) become attached to the gills and fins of fishes, for a couple 

 of weeks, before entering on an independent existence. These infant mussels, 1,000 to 

 2,000 in number, may attach themselves as parasites on a single fish, and of the nine 

 or ten species of common pearly mussels, each species has its own special host or par- 

 ticular fish. 



The mussel fishery, for button purposes, tends to reduce the supply of these shell- 

 fish very seriously; hence artificial propagation and increase are desirable, as in the 

 United States, where such mussel-culture has been very successful, and over 330,000,- 

 000 glochidia were used to infect about 430,000 fish in one season. The supply of com- 

 mon mussels was studied by the author in a number of Ontario waters, and details are 

 given of the Grand river, river Aux Sables, Point Edward bay, and Nottawasaga. 

 and many others. Lampsilis luteola and Quadrula plicata, and other species, have 

 good commercial qualities; but many species are too thin to be of use. The shells are 

 fished by wire scoops, with long handles, worked from scows, which are towed by a 



