SHELL FISH AND CONGER HUNTING, ETC 333 



less success in France ; and many millions of lobster eggs have 

 been hatched in Newfoundland, Canada, Scotland, and other 

 places. So far as figures go Newfoundland takes the lead, 

 having in one year recently hatched seventy-five per cent, out 

 of 152,600,000 eggs. Our own feeble little attempt in the 

 lobster pond at Brodick, of 600,000 in one year, or a total of 

 27,160,000 since the hatchery was started, seems very trifling in 

 comparison. 



Merely hatching lobsters presents no great difficulties ; 

 slowly circulating sea water is required, and in due course the 

 eggs hatch ; but the difficulty, which so far is, I believe, unsur- 

 mounted, is to feed the little creatures after they have come 

 into the world. At the present stage of our knowledge it is 

 deemed best to turn them into the sea before they require 

 artificial food. Not that they refuse to eat, for they are most 

 voracious things, eating anything that is given them, and even 

 one another, and many millions will die of indigestion if they 

 are only given the opportunity. At that early age their enemies 

 in the sea are so numerous that a very small percentage of the 

 many millions which are hatched and turned in are likely to 

 come to maturity. When the food difficulty has been over- 

 come, and lobsters free of dyspepsia can be reared to the length 

 of a few inches in ponds, we shall have some striking results. 



Nearly akin to the lobster is the crawfish, a spiny, thorny- 

 looking creature, but lacking the big claws of his brother. The 

 differences between the two are plainly shown on page 346. 

 The crawfish takes a bait at times, and if you feel a dead weight 

 on your line as you are hauling up, be ready with the landing 

 net, or he will probably drop off the hook before you can lift 

 him into the boat. 



Now and again lobsters which have foolishly clawed hold of 

 the baited hook are caught from pierheads and by anglers in 

 boats. And an agreeable variation they are to the pierhead 



