﻿LOBSTER 
  AND 
  CLAM 
  INVESTIGATIONS. 
  

  

  143 
  

  

  That 
  the 
  trend 
  of 
  the 
  lobster 
  fishery 
  may 
  be 
  understood, 
  there 
  is 
  

   shown 
  herewith 
  in 
  condensed 
  form 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  

   States 
  for 
  all 
  the 
  years 
  for 
  which 
  the 
  statistics 
  are 
  available, 
  beginning- 
  

   with 
  1880. 
  * 
  The 
  plea 
  has 
  frequently 
  been 
  made 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  few 
  

   years 
  that 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  no 
  real 
  diminution 
  of 
  the 
  lobster 
  supply, 
  and 
  

   in 
  proof 
  thereof 
  the 
  financial 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  lobster 
  fishermen 
  has 
  

   ])een 
  cited. 
  It 
  is 
  true 
  that 
  the 
  lobstermen 
  are 
  receiving 
  more 
  money 
  

   for 
  their 
  lobsters 
  than 
  formerly, 
  but 
  in 
  this 
  fact 
  lies 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  great- 
  

   est 
  dangers, 
  for 
  this 
  state 
  of 
  aft'airs 
  engenders 
  indifference 
  to 
  the 
  real 
  

   condition 
  and 
  needs 
  of 
  the 
  fishery. 
  

  

  Comparative 
  statistics 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  lobster 
  catch. 
  

  

  ARTIFICIAL 
  HATCHIN(J 
  OF 
  LOBSTERS. 
  

  

  The 
  national 
  government, 
  through 
  the 
  U. 
  S. 
  Commission 
  of 
  Fish 
  

   and 
  Fisheries, 
  cooperating 
  with 
  the 
  States 
  to 
  maintain 
  the 
  lobster 
  

   supply, 
  has 
  for 
  many 
  years 
  been 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  artificial 
  propagation 
  

   of 
  lobsters 
  at 
  its 
  two 
  marine 
  stations 
  on 
  the 
  Massachusetts 
  coast, 
  and 
  

   many 
  hundred 
  millions 
  have 
  been 
  hatched 
  and 
  planted. 
  In 
  recent 
  years 
  

   the 
  work 
  of 
  gathering 
  brood 
  lobsters 
  has 
  been 
  very 
  thoroughly 
  and 
  

   systematically 
  carried 
  on, 
  and 
  each 
  season 
  during 
  a 
  period 
  of 
  several 
  

   months 
  immediately 
  preceding 
  the 
  hatching 
  time 
  the 
  entire 
  coast 
  of 
  

   New 
  England 
  has 
  been 
  patrolled 
  and 
  practically 
  every 
  available 
  egg- 
  

   bearing 
  lobster 
  has 
  been 
  secured. 
  This 
  work 
  has 
  been 
  conducted 
  

   under 
  an 
  arrangement 
  with 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  States, 
  b}^ 
  which 
  the 
  lobster- 
  

   men 
  are 
  permitted 
  to 
  retain 
  the 
  egg-bearing 
  lobsters 
  until 
  an 
  agent 
  of 
  

   the 
  Commission 
  shall 
  have 
  collected 
  them, 
  paying 
  for 
  them 
  a 
  little 
  

   more 
  than 
  the 
  market 
  price. 
  The 
  "berried" 
  lobsters 
  are 
  sent 
  to 
  the 
  

   hatcheries 
  and 
  their 
  eggs 
  there 
  removed, 
  the 
  old 
  lobsters 
  being 
  after- 
  

   wards 
  taken 
  back 
  to 
  their 
  native 
  localities 
  and 
  liberated. 
  Another 
  

   feature 
  of 
  this 
  work 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  stationing 
  of 
  agents 
  at 
  points 
  where 
  

   lobsters 
  are 
  brought 
  in 
  from 
  the 
  Canadian 
  provinces 
  and 
  the 
  stripping 
  

   of 
  eggs 
  therefrom, 
  such 
  collections 
  some 
  years 
  amounting 
  to 
  many 
  

   millions. 
  

  

  The 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  lobster-cultural 
  operations 
  of 
  the 
  Commission 
  from 
  

   1888, 
  when 
  the 
  first 
  practical 
  work 
  was 
  done, 
  to 
  1903, 
  is 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  

   following* 
  table. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  extensive 
  operations 
  have 
  been 
  

  

  