THE LOBSTER FISHERY. 659 



comparatively small, not generally abundant, and have never grown into favor for the table, 

 although they are marketed to a slight extent in some places, and are occasionally used as bait. 



The lobster probably formed an important element in the food supply of the New England 

 colonists, and its abundance, size, and good qualities are often mentioned in the early records. As 

 a distinct industry, however, the lobster fishery does not date back much, if any, beyond the pres- 

 ent century, and until about 1840 it was mostly limited to a few sections of the coast. Since the 

 latter date it has rapidly developed, and the area of the fishing-grounds has been enlarged to the 

 utmost extent. The introduction of the canning process and the improvements made in the 

 methods of shipping fresh fish have been most instrumeatel-in promoting the growth of the fish- 

 ery, which now, however, seems to have passed the period of its greatest production, if recent ac- 

 counts, respecting a falling off in supplies, are to be relied upon. 



In Section I of this report (Natural History of Aquatic Animals), Part 5, a brief popular 

 account of the natural history of the lobster has been given as an introduction to the present 

 report upon the fishery. That account deals mainly with the questions of distribution, habits ? 

 size, development, and shedding, all of which have a direct bearing upon the industry, especially 

 as regards its protection and its increase by artificial means. 



In the preparation of this, the first extensive official, report' upon the lobster fishery of our 

 country, many difficulties were encountered, and the results are not as complete and satisfactory 

 as they might have been, had we possessed more data respecting previous years to serve as a 

 basis for the work and as a means of comparison with the present fishery. The materials we have 

 used were derived from several sources. The greater part was obtained by the special agents 

 detailed to investigate the coast fisheries of the New England and Middle States, and much 

 valuable information was secored by correspondence with lobster fishermen and dealers in all the 

 principal districts. The author has also been able to personally inspect the fisheries in several 

 important localities, and has had frequent interviews with many of the prominent dealers in the 

 larger markets. A few reliable publications on the subject have also been largely drawn upon. 

 The special agents for the coast of Maine were Mr. R. E. Earll and Capt. J. W. Collins, and 

 despite the fact that their duties covered all the sea fisheries of that important State, the returns 

 made on the lobster fishery and the statistics of the same wore exceedingly complete. It is but 

 just to Mr. Earll to state that it was his original intention to prepare the report on the lobster 

 industry of Maine himself, and his notes were made with a view to that end ; but other duties 

 interfering, his field-notes were confided to my care. The statistics for Maine were, however, com- 

 puted by him. Mr. W. A. Wilcox, Mr. A . Howard Clark, and Mr. Frederick W. True made the 

 investigations for Massachusetts; and Mr. Earll and Mr. Fred. Mather, those for New York and 

 New Jersey. The account of the fisheries of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut has 

 been derived principally from correspondence, but in part also from personal interviews. 



VALUE AND USES OF LOBSTERS. Lobsters are among the most highly esteemed of the sea 

 products of our Atlantic coast, and are everywhere in great demand for food. They are shipped 

 long distances alive, and the canned preparations are carried to all parts of the world. On the sea 

 coasts where they occur, except in the vicinity of large towns and cities, they are not generally 

 much, if any, more expensive chan the common fish of the same region, and they are, therefore, 

 quite extensively eaten by all classes, and many of the fishermen and others also catch them for 

 their own use. Away from the sea-shore, and even in many of the larger markets located near good 

 fishing-grounds, the prices are generally much higher, placing this class of food beyond the reach 

 of the poorer people, and often raising it to the rank of a luxury. 



Lobsters also form an excellent bait for many of the species of fish taken with hook and line. 



