368 Fortieth Annual Meeting 



projecting sides. Within this enclosure the lobsters after 

 they have crawled out can burrow in the soil unmolested 

 by fish. The car can usually be removed at the end of 

 twenty-four hours. 



The aim of the methods indicated above by which the 

 Rhode Island Commission of Inland Fisheries is endeavor- 

 ing to prevent the depletion of the lobster industry may be 

 briefly summarized as follows: 



The economical rearing of the lobster larv^ until they 

 have acquired the habits and instincts of "bottom" life and 

 then establish them upon a bottom suitable for their sub- 

 sequent growth and protection. 



In similar way the methods are being extended to include 

 other marine forms. 



In specially constructed cars it has been made possible this 

 year for the first time to rear the winter flounder {Pseudo- 

 pleuronectes arnericanus) in great numbers through the 

 transition period when it leaves its upright mode of swim- 

 ming, turns over on its side and becomes a flatfish. Several 

 thousand were reared this spring in one car and it is the 

 intention to rear flounders on a larger scale next year. 



Late this summer a number of egg-bearing paddler or 

 blue crabs {Callinectes sapidus) were allowed to hatch their 

 eggs in a specially devised car, and while it is still too early 

 to determine how many have successfully passed the larval 

 stages it may be said that the eggs hatched well and up to 

 the present time most of the fry seem to be living 

 and healthy. 



DISCUSSION 



Dr. George W. Field, Boston, Mass. : I do not think either paper 

 today has stated the great credit due the Bureau of Fisheries for the 

 pioneer work in the development of the lobster hatchery, and the most 

 admirable work carried out by the Rhode Island authorities. Too much 

 emphasis cannot be laid upon the results of the work of these people. 

 But it seems to me that something in addition should be done, as I 

 have said at previous meetings and as I have always continuously 

 said since 1902, namely, that there must be greater protection extended 

 to the breeding adult in order to get a proper number of eggs. 



