﻿II. 
  EXPERIMENTS 
  IN 
  LOBSTER 
  REARING. 
  

  

  By 
  George 
  H. 
  Sherwood. 
  

  

  Under 
  normal 
  conditions 
  the 
  eggs 
  of 
  the 
  lobster 
  are 
  laid 
  in 
  July 
  and 
  

   August, 
  and, 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  swimmerets 
  along 
  the 
  lower 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   abdomen, 
  are 
  carried 
  by 
  the 
  female 
  until 
  they 
  hatch, 
  the 
  period 
  being 
  

   usually 
  ten 
  or 
  eleven 
  months, 
  but 
  depending 
  somewhat 
  upon 
  the 
  tem- 
  

   perature 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  The 
  hatching 
  season 
  at 
  Woods 
  Hole 
  is 
  ordi- 
  

   narily 
  from 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  May 
  until 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  July; 
  on 
  the 
  Maine 
  

   coast 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  week 
  or 
  two 
  later. 
  Not 
  all 
  the 
  eggs 
  develop 
  with 
  the 
  

   same 
  rapidity, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  young 
  are 
  probably 
  widely 
  distributed 
  as 
  

   the 
  mother 
  moves 
  about. 
  

  

  Immediately 
  after 
  hatching 
  the 
  fry 
  are 
  free-swimming, 
  but, 
  as 
  has 
  

   been 
  many 
  times 
  described, 
  they 
  undergo 
  a 
  metamorphosis 
  and 
  become 
  

   in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  weeks 
  full-fledged 
  lobsterlings, 
  possessing 
  

   pinching 
  claws, 
  a 
  hard 
  shell, 
  and 
  other 
  anatomical 
  characters 
  of 
  the 
  adult. 
  

   At 
  this 
  stage 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  remarkable 
  transformation 
  in 
  their 
  disposition 
  

   and 
  habits. 
  They 
  become 
  combative 
  and 
  pugnacious 
  if 
  disturbed, 
  but 
  

   retreat 
  from 
  danger, 
  hiding 
  in 
  the 
  seaweed, 
  under 
  stones, 
  or 
  even 
  bur- 
  

   rowing 
  in 
  the 
  sand, 
  their 
  color 
  harmonizing 
  with 
  their 
  surroundings; 
  

   their 
  movements 
  are 
  active 
  and 
  vigorous, 
  and 
  in 
  many 
  respects 
  they 
  

   are 
  capable 
  of 
  taking 
  care 
  of 
  themselves. 
  

  

  Each 
  of 
  the 
  three 
  stages 
  of 
  early 
  development 
  is 
  completed 
  with 
  the 
  

   molting 
  or 
  shedding 
  of 
  the 
  skin 
  or 
  shell. 
  This 
  process 
  continues 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  lobster, 
  becoming 
  more 
  infrequent, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  with 
  increased 
  age. 
  During 
  the 
  larval 
  stages, 
  especially, 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  

   severe 
  drain 
  on 
  the 
  vitality, 
  for 
  a 
  time 
  leaving 
  the 
  fry 
  exhausted 
  and 
  

   almost 
  entirely 
  helpless. 
  These 
  early 
  metamorphoses 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  

   critical 
  period 
  in 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  lobster, 
  and 
  the 
  mortality 
  at 
  this 
  time 
  

   limits 
  the 
  effectiveness 
  of 
  planting 
  newl}' 
  hatched 
  fry; 
  moreover, 
  it 
  is 
  

   during 
  this 
  enfeebled 
  condition 
  that 
  the 
  natural 
  enemies 
  are 
  most 
  

   active. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  young 
  lobster 
  emerges 
  from 
  the 
  egg 
  it 
  bears 
  little 
  resem- 
  

   blance 
  to 
  the 
  adult 
  either 
  in 
  external 
  form 
  or 
  in 
  habit. 
  It 
  swims 
  

   aimlessly 
  or 
  floats 
  at 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  occasionally 
  seizes 
  a 
  

   particle 
  of 
  food, 
  but 
  apparently 
  has 
  no 
  sense 
  of 
  danger. 
  Its 
  bright 
  

   colors 
  and 
  activity 
  render 
  it 
  conspicuous 
  to 
  the 
  numerous 
  predatory 
  

   fishes, 
  and 
  currents 
  carry 
  it 
  far 
  from 
  its 
  native 
  waters. 
  It 
  is 
  safe 
  to 
  

  

  149 
  

  

  