780 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [28] 
these animals would allow of their capture, especially as concerns the 
common and the rock lobsters. But far from conforming to these natural 
requirements, the old regulations authorized the taking of these crusta- 
ceans at all times throughout the year, with only two restrictions: first, 
to return to the sea all ripe females, that is, females with eggs attached 
to the abdomen; and, second, to return all individuals less than 20 
centimeters in length. The first of these requirements of the law was 
excellent in principle, but it was impossible to secure its rigorous 
execution. 
The fishermen would not consent to throw back into the sea often as 
much as half of their catch, and so eluded the law by tearing off the 
bunches of eggs from the femalés, thus destroying at a blow myriads of 
young ones. It is evident that such action as this has had not a little 
to do with the increasing scarcity of these animals and their nearly 
complete extinction in certain sections. On the other hand, if the fish- 
ing season were limited to three months it would ruin the fishermen in 
thus restraining the use of a commodity now generally in demand at all 
seasons of the year. So under the new regulations now actually in force, 
and which are due to the exertions of M. Coste, the taking of these 
crustaceans is forbidden only during the last three spawning months, 
March, April, and May, during which time most of the young are 
hatched from the egg. To this eminently protective measure is added 
the obligation to return to the water every animal less than 22 centime- 
ters in length from the eye to the beginning of the abdominal portion ; 
for all animals smaller than this not only sell for a minimum price, and, 
being too young for reproduction, their destruction before having ful- 
filled this function at least once would be a loss without any compensa- 
tion. What has thus far been done is all that can be done judiciously 
in the present state of affairs, when both the common and the rock lob- 
Sters, as soon as they are taken from the water, are delivered immediately 
to the consumers, or at least are preserved in small live ponds or boxes 
only as long as is necessary to find a purchaser. But it is known to-day 
that both of these animals do well in confinement, and when kept in 
spacious basins where the conditions suited to their normal existence 
are artificially realized, they will live, increase in size, fatten and repro- 
duce their kind just the same as in a state of nature. And it is even to 
be supposed that, like oysters in parks, this mode of breeding should 
improve them in flavor and delicacy. 
Here, then, is a new industry open to the inhabitants of our coast; 
an industry which, in multiplying products, is suppressing non-values, 
since every individual which is under the marketable size can be pre- 
served until such a size is attained. By being able to satisfy instantly 
all the demands of commerce, even at times when bad weather or other 
circumstances prevent fishing, the consumption in the interior and the 
exportation to foreign countries will be considerably augmented, and 
a wise and effective protection will become possible, since the fishing 
