﻿LOBSTER 
  ANT) 
  CLAM 
  INVESTIGATIONS. 
  157 
  

  

  The 
  .short 
  season 
  allowed 
  time 
  enough 
  for 
  only 
  eleven 
  experiments, 
  

   l)ut 
  with 
  the 
  interesting 
  result 
  that 
  3,425 
  fry 
  were 
  reared 
  to 
  the 
  lobster- 
  

   ling 
  stage. 
  Compared 
  with 
  the 
  meager 
  results 
  of 
  other 
  experiments, 
  

   the 
  aggregate 
  of 
  which 
  was 
  less 
  than 
  400 
  lobsterlings, 
  these 
  figures 
  

   were 
  most 
  satisfactory. 
  

  

  Many 
  of 
  the 
  usual 
  difficulties 
  of 
  the 
  problem 
  were 
  encountered 
  at 
  

   Wickford, 
  but 
  in 
  a 
  lesser 
  degree. 
  The 
  mortality 
  at 
  the 
  molting 
  time, 
  

   particularly 
  the 
  first 
  and 
  second 
  molt, 
  was 
  considerable. 
  Cannibalism 
  

   was 
  noticeable, 
  especially 
  where 
  large 
  numbers 
  were 
  confined 
  in 
  small 
  

   inclosures. 
  The 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  fry 
  became 
  infested 
  with 
  a 
  profuse 
  

   growth 
  of 
  diatoms, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  necessary 
  to 
  change 
  and 
  clean 
  the 
  bags 
  

   frequently, 
  sometimes 
  as 
  often 
  as 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  times 
  in 
  a 
  week. 
  

   Nevertheless, 
  the 
  facilities 
  of 
  the 
  Wickford 
  station, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  

   physical 
  and 
  biological 
  conditions, 
  seemed 
  to 
  render 
  the 
  place 
  espe- 
  

   cially 
  suitable 
  for 
  lobster 
  culture. 
  The 
  floating 
  laboratory 
  of 
  the 
  

   State 
  commission 
  was 
  equipped 
  not 
  only 
  with 
  scientific 
  instruments 
  

   and 
  work 
  tables, 
  but 
  with 
  sleeping 
  quarters 
  for 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  persons. 
  

   Thus, 
  by 
  separating 
  the 
  men 
  into 
  watches, 
  it 
  was 
  possible 
  to 
  keep 
  the 
  

   fry 
  under 
  continuous 
  observation, 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  which 
  was 
  later 
  

   proved. 
  The 
  natural 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  was 
  a,lso 
  favorable 
  to 
  the 
  

   young 
  lobsters. 
  Mill 
  Cove, 
  where 
  the 
  plant 
  was 
  located, 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  

   inlet 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  of 
  Narragansett 
  Bay, 
  about 
  9 
  miles 
  from 
  New- 
  

   port 
  and 
  the 
  open 
  sea. 
  It 
  is 
  practically 
  landlocked, 
  and 
  the 
  severest 
  

   storms 
  have 
  little 
  effect. 
  The 
  water 
  is 
  considerably 
  warmer, 
  and 
  its 
  

   density 
  somewhat 
  lower, 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  vicinit}^ 
  of 
  Woods 
  Hole. 
  This 
  

   higher 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  together 
  with 
  its 
  protected 
  location, 
  

   makes 
  Mill 
  Cove 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  portions 
  of 
  Narragansett 
  B;i 
  y 
  natural 
  

   nurseries 
  and 
  feeding 
  grounds 
  for 
  hosts 
  of 
  marine 
  organisms, 
  and 
  at 
  

   certain 
  seasons 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  the 
  waters 
  are 
  literally 
  alive 
  with 
  millions 
  

   of 
  larvae 
  and 
  eggs 
  of 
  clams, 
  oysters, 
  starfish, 
  etc. 
  As 
  such 
  organisms 
  

   pi'obably 
  constitute 
  the 
  natural 
  food 
  of 
  young 
  lobsters, 
  the 
  impor- 
  

   tance 
  of 
  a 
  rich 
  plankton 
  is 
  readily 
  understood. 
  

  

  Doctor 
  Mead's 
  continued 
  observation 
  of 
  the 
  fry 
  led 
  him 
  to 
  the 
  con- 
  

   clusion 
  that 
  the 
  secret 
  of 
  rearing 
  young 
  lobsters 
  was 
  constant 
  agitation 
  

   of 
  the 
  water, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  f 
  r}^ 
  could 
  not 
  gather 
  on 
  the 
  bottom. 
  In 
  the 
  

   scrim 
  bags 
  this 
  condition 
  existed 
  onl}' 
  when 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  light 
  wind 
  or 
  

   gentle 
  current. 
  High 
  winds 
  frequenth' 
  blew 
  the 
  bags 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  

   water, 
  and 
  a 
  strong 
  current 
  usually 
  forced 
  the 
  fry 
  against 
  the 
  sides 
  or 
  

   bottom 
  of 
  the 
  bag, 
  and 
  the 
  results 
  were 
  as 
  disastrous 
  as 
  during 
  the 
  

   calm. 
  

  

  To 
  test 
  the 
  correctness 
  of 
  his 
  conclusion 
  Doctor 
  Mead 
  decided 
  to 
  stir 
  

   the 
  water 
  continuously 
  and 
  note 
  the 
  result. 
  For 
  this 
  purpose 
  the 
  

   working 
  force 
  in 
  the 
  laboratory 
  was 
  divided 
  into 
  watches, 
  and 
  from 
  

   July 
  6 
  to 
  July 
  12 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  experiments 
  No. 
  9 
  and 
  No. 
  12, 
  Table 
  11, 
  

   was 
  stirred 
  with 
  an 
  oar 
  day 
  and 
  night. 
  The 
  results 
  were 
  convincing, 
  

  

  