70 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVAL SERVICE 



8 GEORGE V, A. 1918 



That the egg glue requires time to harden in the water was demonstrated by the 

 fact that one female, which was lying on her back after egg-laying, was dipped up 

 too soon from the box and righted in position. As a result, nearly all her eggs dropped 

 off on the board on which the observer was standing. 



THE RESTING POSTURE. 



This is the posture which an animal naturally adopts when left to itself in a 

 crate, box, or otlier enclosure, and usually after being fed. If there are many animals 



Fig. 8.— The resting posture. From a photograph of 

 an animal under water. 



together, they will often take up this posture in one corner and lie one on top of the 

 other. It is their usual posture in shelters. 



FIGHTING POSTURE. 



There is nothing new to describe about this posture. Most people who have 

 ■matched lobsters when removed from the water have seen them elevate their great 

 claws, open their scythe-like jaws, and otherwise adopt a threatening or defensive 

 attitude. It is the regular pose of female lobsters, in defence of their eggs, and of the 

 male lobsters towards each other. Time after time have we seen two males pas^ 

 females without adopting any belligerent attitude, but as soon as they approached 

 each other "squared off" for a fight. Though the males are generally restless, the 

 larger ones chasing the smaller from place to place, we never actually saw one injure 

 the other. 



BIENNIAL SPAWNING. 



It remains to say a few words on the subject of biennial spawning. The fact 

 that nine lobsters spawned in 1914, and again in 1915, is beyond all question. It is 

 also equally beyond question that out of 50 lobsters which hatched their eggs in July, 

 1914, and moulted in the autumn of 1914 (according to the testimony of the care- 

 taker of the pond) twenty-two did not spawn this summer at all. If lobsters spawn 

 biennially, then these females should have extruded new &jgs in July and August of 

 19L5, but they did not. 



