﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  231 
  

  

  have 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  a 
  lobster's 
  stomacb, 
  and 
  algte 
  sometimes 
  serve 
  as 
  

   food. 
  Fish 
  is 
  the 
  bait 
  most 
  extensively 
  employed 
  in 
  the 
  lobster 
  fishery. 
  

  

  REPRODUCTION. 
  

  

  The 
  reproductive 
  function 
  of 
  the 
  lobster 
  is 
  not 
  generally 
  understood, 
  

   and 
  until 
  a 
  comparatively 
  receut 
  date 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  important 
  questions 
  

   in 
  relation 
  thereto 
  were 
  undecided. 
  From 
  the 
  stantlpoints 
  of 
  the 
  com- 
  

   mercial 
  fishermen, 
  fish-culturist, 
  and 
  legislator, 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  that 
  the 
  

   l)rincipal 
  phases 
  of 
  this 
  subject 
  be 
  clearly 
  appreciated, 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  

   the 
  supply 
  may 
  be 
  maintained. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  spawning- 
  season 
  for 
  lobsters 
  on 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  coast 
  

   is 
  summer, 
  especially 
  July 
  and 
  August, 
  when 
  probably 
  three-fourths 
  of 
  

   the 
  lobsters 
  deposit 
  their 
  eggs. 
  The 
  remaining 
  egg-producing 
  lobsters 
  

   lay 
  during 
  the 
  fall 
  and 
  winter. 
  A 
  given 
  lobster 
  does 
  not 
  spawn 
  oftener 
  

   than 
  every 
  second 
  year, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  sbown 
  by 
  recent 
  studies 
  cou 
  ducted 
  

   by 
  the 
  Commission. 
  

  

  The 
  eggs, 
  are 
  fertilized 
  outside 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  female. 
  The 
  sper- 
  

   matic 
  fluid 
  is 
  deposited 
  in 
  a 
  receptacle 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  third 
  pair 
  of 
  

   walking 
  legs, 
  and 
  retains 
  its 
  vitality 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  time. 
  When 
  the 
  eggs 
  

   are 
  being 
  extruded, 
  the 
  female 
  lobster 
  lies 
  on 
  her 
  back 
  and 
  folds 
  the 
  

   tail 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  chamber 
  to 
  retain 
  the 
  eggs. 
  After 
  their 
  

   discharge 
  from 
  the 
  body, 
  the 
  eggs 
  become 
  coated 
  with 
  a 
  cement 
  substance 
  

   secreted 
  by 
  glands 
  in 
  the 
  swimmerets; 
  this 
  substance 
  hardens 
  after 
  

   being 
  in 
  contact 
  with 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  firmly 
  unites 
  the 
  eggs 
  to 
  the 
  hair- 
  

   like 
  filaments 
  on 
  the 
  swimmerets. 
  The 
  exact 
  method 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  

   fertilizing 
  principle 
  is 
  conveyed 
  to 
  the 
  eggs 
  from 
  the 
  pouch 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  

   is 
  contained 
  is 
  not 
  known. 
  

  

  The 
  incubative 
  period 
  is 
  much 
  prolonged. 
  After 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  

   extruded 
  and 
  become 
  attached 
  externally, 
  they 
  are 
  carried 
  10 
  or 
  11 
  

   months 
  before 
  hatching 
  ensues; 
  during 
  this 
  time 
  they 
  are 
  carefully 
  

   protected, 
  and 
  are 
  perfectly 
  aerated 
  by 
  the 
  active 
  motion 
  of 
  the 
  swim- 
  

   merets. 
  On 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  coast 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  lobsters 
  emerge 
  from 
  

   the 
  egg 
  in 
  June, 
  although 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  hatching 
  is 
  completed 
  in 
  May 
  

   and 
  some 
  in 
  July 
  or 
  even 
  later. 
  A 
  few 
  eggs 
  are 
  now 
  known 
  to 
  hatch 
  

   in 
  winter. 
  All 
  of 
  the 
  embryos 
  do 
  not 
  come 
  from 
  the 
  eggs 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  

   time, 
  the 
  hatching 
  occupying 
  a 
  Aveek 
  or 
  more. 
  The 
  young 
  receive 
  no 
  

   attention 
  from 
  the 
  adults, 
  but 
  lead 
  an 
  independent 
  existence 
  immedi- 
  

   ately 
  after 
  escaping 
  from 
  the 
  egg. 
  

  

  The 
  lobster 
  egg 
  is 
  about 
  i\- 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter. 
  When 
  newly 
  laid 
  it 
  is 
  

   usually 
  of 
  a 
  dark-green 
  color, 
  but 
  is 
  sometimes 
  light-grayish 
  or 
  yellow- 
  

   ish-green. 
  

  

  The 
  known 
  maximum 
  number 
  of 
  eggs 
  produced 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  by 
  a 
  

   lobster 
  is 
  97,110; 
  the 
  average 
  from 
  lobsters, 
  taken 
  for 
  market 
  is 
  10,000 
  

   to 
  12,000. 
  The 
  number 
  depends 
  largely 
  on 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  lobster, 
  

   apparently 
  in 
  conformity 
  to 
  the 
  following 
  rule: 
  The 
  numbers 
  of 
  eggs 
  

   laid 
  by 
  given 
  lobsters 
  vary 
  in 
  a 
  geometric 
  scale, 
  while 
  the 
  lengths 
  of 
  

   the 
  lobsters 
  vary 
  in 
  an 
  arithmetic 
  scale. 
  

  

  