﻿158 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  experiment 
  No. 
  9 
  silono 
  yielding 
  748 
  lobsters, 
  or 
  more 
  than 
  had 
  been 
  

   reared 
  in 
  the 
  combined 
  efforts 
  at 
  all 
  other 
  localities. 
  Unfortunately 
  

   the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  season 
  interrupted 
  further 
  experiments 
  along 
  this 
  line. 
  

  

  SUMMARY 
  OF 
  THE 
  RESULTS 
  OF 
  THE 
  WORK 
  OF 
  1900. 
  

  

  The 
  lirst 
  year's 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  special 
  commission 
  developed 
  the 
  fol- 
  

   lowing 
  facts: 
  

  

  1. 
  Conditions 
  at 
  Woods 
  Hole, 
  whether 
  near 
  the 
  hatchery 
  or 
  at 
  Ilad- 
  

   ley 
  IIar])or, 
  were 
  unfavorble, 
  and 
  the 
  Hoating 
  scrim 
  bags 
  proved 
  in 
  

   tills 
  locality 
  as 
  inadequate 
  for 
  practical 
  lobster 
  culture 
  as 
  other 
  inclo- 
  

   sures 
  had 
  proved. 
  

  

  2. 
  Environmental 
  conditions 
  at 
  Orrs 
  Island 
  and 
  Gloucester 
  were 
  

   not 
  more 
  suitable 
  for 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  young 
  lobsters 
  than 
  at 
  Woods 
  

   Hole. 
  

  

  3. 
  Lobster 
  fry 
  thrive 
  much 
  better 
  at 
  Wickford 
  than 
  at 
  Woods 
  Hole, 
  

   Orrs 
  Island, 
  or 
  Gloucester; 
  just 
  why 
  is 
  not 
  fully 
  known, 
  but 
  there 
  

   can 
  be 
  little 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  higher 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  its 
  rela- 
  

   tive 
  calmness, 
  and 
  the 
  great 
  abundance 
  of 
  natural 
  food 
  were 
  prime 
  

   factors. 
  The 
  rate 
  of 
  growth 
  also 
  is 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  great 
  importance, 
  for, 
  

   otheu 
  things 
  being 
  equal, 
  the 
  shorter 
  the 
  critical 
  period 
  the 
  greater 
  

   the 
  chance 
  of 
  survival. 
  For 
  example, 
  and 
  as 
  already 
  stated, 
  at 
  all 
  the 
  

   stations 
  the 
  fry 
  becn,me 
  covered 
  with 
  diatoms, 
  which 
  are 
  both 
  directl}^ 
  

   and 
  indirectly 
  responsible 
  for 
  a 
  great 
  amount 
  of 
  the 
  mortality. 
  When 
  

   the 
  shell 
  or 
  skin 
  is 
  shed, 
  the 
  fry 
  get 
  rid 
  of 
  this 
  pest, 
  and 
  are 
  clean 
  

   until 
  a 
  second 
  infection. 
  Hence 
  if 
  the 
  young 
  lobsters 
  grow 
  rapidly 
  

   they 
  shed 
  before 
  the 
  diatoms 
  become 
  a 
  serious 
  incumbrance. 
  This 
  was 
  

   demonstrated 
  at 
  Wickford, 
  where 
  the 
  average 
  time 
  required 
  for 
  a 
  

   young 
  lobster 
  to 
  r(>ach 
  the 
  lobsterling 
  stage 
  was 
  12 
  days 
  instead 
  of 
  22, 
  

   as 
  at 
  Woods 
  Hole. 
  

  

  1. 
  The 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  as 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  expected, 
  has 
  a 
  marked 
  

   intlucnce 
  on 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  growth. 
  The 
  coldest 
  water 
  was 
  found 
  at 
  Orrs 
  

   Island, 
  ranging 
  from 
  57^ 
  to 
  63^ 
  F., 
  and 
  the 
  critical 
  period 
  was 
  from 
  

   25 
  to 
  26 
  days. 
  The 
  temperature 
  at 
  Woods 
  Hole 
  was 
  only 
  slightly 
  

   higher, 
  and 
  the 
  fry 
  developed 
  in 
  from 
  22 
  to 
  25 
  days. 
  At 
  Wickford 
  

   the 
  water 
  averaged 
  5° 
  to 
  lO'^ 
  higher 
  than 
  at 
  Woods 
  Hole, 
  and 
  the 
  

   average 
  developmental 
  period 
  was 
  only 
  12 
  da3's. 
  In 
  the 
  first 
  experi- 
  

   ments 
  the 
  duration 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  three 
  stages 
  was 
  16 
  days, 
  average 
  tem- 
  

   perature 
  66° 
  F. 
  ; 
  in 
  experiment 
  No. 
  10, 
  with 
  an 
  average 
  temperature 
  

   of 
  72° 
  F., 
  it 
  was 
  9 
  days. 
  (See 
  Table 
  II.) 
  At 
  Annis(iuam 
  the 
  water 
  

   was 
  very 
  warm, 
  sometimes 
  reaching 
  76°, 
  and 
  lobsterlings 
  were 
  o])tained 
  

   in 
  10 
  dayK. 
  

  

  5. 
  Proper 
  food 
  and 
  feeding 
  is 
  a 
  problem 
  in 
  itself. 
  Naturally 
  the 
  

   lobster 
  liver 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  Woods 
  Hole, 
  Orrs 
  Island, 
  and 
  Annisquam 
  

   experiments 
  was 
  not 
  practicalde, 
  and 
  although 
  the 
  fry 
  seemed 
  to 
  thrive 
  

   on 
  the 
  soft 
  clam, 
  this 
  food 
  sank 
  to 
  the 
  bottom, 
  where 
  it 
  decayed 
  and 
  

  

  