﻿174 
  EEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  to 
  the 
  observation 
  of 
  the 
  larval 
  lobsters 
  and 
  gave 
  only 
  incidental 
  atten- 
  

   tion 
  to 
  later 
  stages, 
  but 
  Dr.^A. 
  D. 
  Mead 
  has 
  made 
  some 
  interesting- 
  

   and 
  suggestive 
  observations 
  on 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  growth 
  from 
  the 
  lobsterling 
  

   stage 
  onward, 
  and 
  has 
  valuable 
  data 
  bearing 
  upon 
  comparative 
  mor- 
  

   tality. 
  He 
  has 
  retained 
  the 
  young 
  for 
  more 
  than 
  two 
  years, 
  and 
  by 
  

   direct 
  observation 
  has 
  ascertained 
  many 
  facts 
  of 
  interest. 
  The 
  length 
  

   of 
  the 
  lobster 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  criterion 
  of 
  age. 
  Although 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   first 
  year 
  the 
  average 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  was 
  2^ 
  inches, 
  he 
  shows 
  

   that 
  six 
  months 
  later, 
  while 
  some 
  have 
  grown 
  but 
  little, 
  others 
  are 
  

   fully 
  5 
  inches 
  in 
  length. 
  The 
  average 
  rate 
  of 
  growth, 
  however, 
  is 
  so 
  

   slow 
  that 
  at 
  least 
  three 
  years, 
  and 
  possibly 
  five, 
  must 
  be 
  allowed 
  for 
  the 
  

   animal 
  to 
  reach 
  a 
  marketable 
  size. 
  Doctor 
  Mead's 
  experiments 
  prove 
  

   that 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  retain 
  the3^oung 
  for 
  an 
  indefinite 
  period, 
  and 
  that 
  

   the 
  mortality 
  after 
  the 
  lobsterling 
  stage 
  is 
  reached 
  is 
  very 
  small. 
  

  

  A 
  more 
  conclusive 
  demonstration 
  of 
  the 
  possibility 
  of 
  rearing 
  lob- 
  

   sters 
  for 
  market 
  is 
  perhaps 
  required 
  by 
  the 
  lobster 
  men 
  before 
  they 
  

   can 
  be 
  persuaded 
  to 
  invest 
  in 
  the 
  enterprise, 
  but 
  that 
  such 
  a 
  scheme 
  

   can 
  ultimately 
  be 
  made 
  financially 
  profitable 
  is 
  convincingh' 
  shown, 
  

   A 
  simple 
  method 
  would 
  be 
  for 
  the 
  government 
  to 
  cooperate 
  with 
  some 
  

   lobstermen 
  who 
  control 
  a 
  suitable 
  pound, 
  preferably 
  on 
  the 
  Maine 
  

   coast, 
  and 
  release 
  there 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  lobsterlings. 
  It 
  woidd 
  not 
  

   be 
  possible 
  to 
  judge 
  of 
  the 
  results 
  for 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  vears, 
  but 
  in 
  this 
  

   way 
  the 
  practical 
  value 
  of 
  artificial 
  rearing 
  could 
  be 
  determined. 
  

  

  Thus 
  far 
  the 
  apparatus 
  used 
  for 
  stirring 
  the 
  water 
  has 
  been 
  crude, 
  

   and 
  obviously 
  several 
  changes 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  before 
  constructing 
  a 
  

   permanent 
  plant. 
  Larger 
  bags 
  of 
  more 
  durable 
  material 
  should 
  be 
  

   used 
  for 
  rearing 
  purposes, 
  though 
  the 
  small 
  bags 
  are 
  good 
  for 
  hatch- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  (^gg>i, 
  and 
  the 
  annoying 
  and 
  unsatisfactory^ 
  system 
  of 
  belts 
  for 
  

   transmitting 
  power 
  should 
  be 
  replaced 
  by 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  gears 
  and 
  worms. 
  

  

  