MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. 



23 



" When the ph^ice hatching season was over (fig. lOj, 

 the Curator turned his attention to lobster culture, and 

 by great and persistent effort over twenty ' berried ' 

 female lobsters with eggs in various stages of ripeness 

 were acquired from local fishcimen. The eggs of one of 

 these began to hatch out on June 21st, and experiments 

 in rearing were at once begun, while some of the larvae 

 in the first stage were set free at points where it was 

 thought that suitable ' cover ' would be found. 

 Altogether 7,450 larvae were hatched, and every effort 

 was made, by experiment on old and new lines, to rear 

 them through their early stages, but without tangible 

 success. All the difficulties of past years were 

 experienced, and it is now abundantly clear that the 



