BREEDING OF THE EUROPEAN LOBSTER. 803 



young Lobsters soon gambol about in the water, and come up to the surface, where they reinaiu 

 during the entire time of their future development. . . . 



"At tlif fifth change their metamorphosis is complete, and therewith ends their pelagian life. 

 The young Lobster has then entirely lost its swimming apparatus attached to the fore part of its 

 body, and in its stead the well-known fringes have grown at the lower side of the back part of the 

 body. These fringes are the only swimming apparatus which the grown Lobster possesses; in the 

 female Lobster they also serve in keep the roe in position. The Lobster now leaves the surface 

 and goes to the bottom, there to lead the same life us its parents. I am not positively certain how 

 long a time is required for the entire metamorphosis, but I am inclined to believe that it consumes 

 a couple of mouths. 



" Even after the Lobster has reached its final development, it continues to change its skin 

 regularly at least once a year, and continues to do so as long as it grows. Only when it lias 

 ceased growing this change of skin does not occur so often. We shall, therefore, alwajs find 

 that very large Lobsters are more or less thickly covered with scales, which is not so frequent in 

 smaller specimens. . . . 



" I did not succeed in obtaining Lobsters measuring from an inch to a finger's length, and so 

 far as I know none are contained in any museum. I consider it as certain, however, that the 

 Lobsters keep near the coast during this stage of their development. The reason why they cannot 

 be caught with the bottom scraper is partly their quick movements and partly the circumstance 

 that they hide among the algae on the bottom of the sea. The fact that they cannot be caught 

 in the common lobster- baskets is easily explained by these having such wide openings." 



The following account of the reproduction of the European Lobster on the French coast is 

 by the late M. Coste, well remembered from his many interesting and extensive experiments in 

 several branches of fish culture. We have no means of determining how accurate these obser- 

 vations are, nor do we know whether they are the result of close study or conclusions derived 

 from the accounts of fishermen. We offer them here as affording many valuable suggestions 

 which may aid observers on our own coast. The seasons do not entirely correspond with ours: 



"The Lobster commences breeding in the month of October, and the pairing takes place 

 sometimes as late as January. The couplings are rare at the opening of the season, but increase 

 in frequency to the end of December, and but few take place in January. The female emits the 

 oggs in about fifteen or twenty days after the pairing. When they have reached the stage 

 proper for their expulsion, the female applies the inner side of the tail against the plastron or 

 shell immediately over the stomach, in such a manner as to form a cup or cavity, in which are 

 to be found the openings of the oviduct, placed exactly behind the third pair of legs. Conse- 

 quently when the eggs escape they fall into this natural cup or cavity, as described above. 

 They are expelled in successive jets, to the number of twenty thousand in a single day. 



"The Lobster emits at the same time, along with the eggs, a kind of adhesive liquid, 

 which binds the eggs one to the other, and attaches them all to the small feet under the tail, 

 where they remain in perfect shelter from all harm until they are sufficiently ripe for final 

 expulsion. 



"In order to forward and force the regular incubation of the ova, the females have the 

 power to give them more or less light, as they consider requisite, by closing or opening the fold 

 of the tail. Sometimes the eggs are kept quite covered, and at other times they give them a 

 kind of washing, by moving the flanges of the tail in a peculiar manner. The incubation lasts 

 six months, during which lime the female takes such good care of the ova that it is rare to find, 

 an injured embryo or barren egg. 



