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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  first 
  five 
  pairs 
  of 
  abdominal 
  appendages, 
  known 
  as 
  swimmerets, 
  are 
  all 
  

   similar 
  and 
  consist 
  of 
  a 
  short 
  basal 
  piece 
  and 
  two 
  terminal 
  pieces 
  side 
  

   bj' 
  side. 
  The 
  appendages 
  of 
  the 
  sixth 
  segment 
  consist 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  

   arrangement 
  of 
  parts, 
  but 
  the 
  pieces 
  are 
  broad 
  and 
  paddle-like, 
  and, 
  

   with 
  the 
  terminal 
  plate 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  last 
  segment, 
  constitute 
  a 
  

   powerful 
  caudal 
  paddle 
  or 
  tail. 
  In 
  the 
  male 
  the 
  abdomen 
  is 
  narrower 
  

   than 
  in 
  the 
  female, 
  and 
  the 
  first 
  two 
  x)airs 
  of 
  swimmerets 
  differ 
  much 
  

   from 
  those 
  which 
  follow. 
  

  

  The 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  lobster 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  great 
  variation, 
  but 
  most 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  is 
  dark 
  bluish-green 
  above, 
  mottled 
  with 
  dark-green 
  blotches 
  ; 
  

   there 
  is 
  usually 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  red 
  or 
  vermilion 
  on 
  the 
  appendages, 
  

   especially 
  on 
  the 
  tubercles, 
  tips, 
  and 
  under 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  claws 
  

   and 
  on 
  the 
  antennjc; 
  the 
  walking 
  legs 
  are 
  light 
  blue 
  with 
  reddish 
  tips 
  

   and 
  tufts 
  of 
  hair. 
  Occasionally 
  specimens 
  are 
  found 
  which 
  are 
  almost 
  

   entirely 
  red, 
  and 
  morQ 
  frequently 
  they 
  are 
  blue 
  or 
  bluish 
  in 
  general 
  tone. 
  

  

  DISTRIBUTION 
  AND 
  ABUNDANCE. 
  

  

  The 
  lobster 
  is 
  found 
  from 
  Labrador 
  to 
  Delaware, 
  its 
  range 
  covering 
  

   about 
  1,300 
  miles 
  of 
  coast 
  line. 
  Stragglers 
  have 
  been 
  taken 
  on 
  the 
  

   coasts 
  of 
  Virginia 
  and 
  North 
  Carolina. 
  While 
  the 
  bathic 
  range 
  is 
  prac- 
  

   tically 
  limited 
  by 
  the 
  100-fathom 
  line, 
  it 
  is 
  occasionally 
  found 
  long 
  

   distances 
  from 
  land 
  on 
  the 
  fishing-banks 
  off 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  coast. 
  

  

  The 
  lobster 
  is 
  most 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  part 
  of 
  its 
  habitat. 
  

   On 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  coast 
  it 
  is 
  most 
  numerous 
  in 
  Maine. 
  In 
  the 
  

   provinces 
  of 
  Nova 
  Scotia, 
  New 
  Brunswick, 
  and 
  Quebec, 
  and 
  also 
  in 
  

   Newfoundland 
  it 
  is 
  extremely 
  abundant. 
  

  

  MOVEMENTS. 
  

  

  The 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  lobster 
  are 
  chiefly 
  on 
  and 
  off 
  shore. 
  Such 
  

   coastwise 
  movements 
  as 
  characterize 
  the 
  mackerel, 
  bluefish, 
  and 
  men- 
  

   haden 
  are 
  never 
  undertaken 
  by 
  the 
  lobster. 
  This 
  fact 
  makes 
  possible 
  

   the 
  rapid 
  depletion 
  of 
  fishing-grounds, 
  and 
  even 
  the 
  i^ractical 
  exter- 
  

   mination 
  of 
  the 
  lobster 
  in 
  given 
  areas; 
  it 
  also 
  affords 
  basis 
  for 
  the 
  

   belief 
  in 
  the 
  efficacy 
  of 
  artificial 
  means 
  for 
  maintaining 
  and 
  increasing 
  

   the 
  supply. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  well-marked 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  lobster 
  induced 
  by 
  various 
  

   influences, 
  among 
  which 
  are 
  the 
  abundance 
  or 
  scarcity 
  of 
  food, 
  the 
  

   water 
  temperature, 
  and 
  the 
  spawning 
  instinct. 
  On 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  

   coast 
  there 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  months 
  a 
  shoreward 
  movement 
  of 
  large 
  

   bodies 
  of 
  lobsters 
  ; 
  'On 
  the 
  approach 
  of 
  winter 
  the 
  lobsters 
  move 
  out 
  

   into 
  deep 
  water. 
  

  

  FOOD. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  food 
  of 
  the 
  lobster 
  is 
  fish, 
  either 
  dead 
  or 
  alive. 
  Such 
  

   bottom 
  species 
  as 
  the'sculpin, 
  flounder, 
  and 
  sea- 
  robin 
  can 
  doubtless 
  be 
  

   readily 
  caught 
  by 
  the 
  lobster, 
  and 
  they 
  also 
  consume 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  

   of 
  invertebrates, 
  among 
  them 
  being 
  crabs 
  and 
  other 
  crustaceans, 
  clams, 
  

   couchs, 
  and 
  other 
  mollusks, 
  starfish, 
  sea-urchins, 
  etc. 
  Lobster 
  eggs 
  

  

  