American Fisheries Society. (3 
torily with open-top McDonald jars, fitted with nickel rims ané 
over-flow spouts, the water being conducted directly from these 
jars into rectangular aquaria of various sizes. No change has 
been made in the equipment of the Gloucester station and closed 
top McDonald jars have been used. During the past winter 
the superintendent has made tests with the open-top Downing 
jar. This jar is unquestionably preferable to the open-top Mc- 
Donald jar for the reason that there is no metal about it, which 
is especially objectionable with salt water. Superintendent Cor- 
liss reports that the open-top jar is just as good as the closed-top 
jar for hatching purposes, but complains that rectangular 
aquaria with open-top jars do not work satisfactorily. He has 
been accustomed to hold lobsters in battery jars 15” high and 9” 
in diameter, so arranged that two hatching jars empty into one 
battery jar and the combined force of water from these two jars 
keeps the contents of the battery jars in constant motion. Ina 
large aquarium there is always dead water in some parts, and 
the eggs and fry collecting there are lost. In holding lobster 
fry it appears absolutely necessary to keep them in constant mo- 
tion, in order to prevent bunching and smothering, and also to 
prevent cannibalism. Mr. Corliss says that another point in 
favor of the battery jar is its convenience, and the saving of 
time when putting up shipments of fry and in estimating the 
number of fry on hand. He states that it takes nearly three 
times as long to put up a shipment of lobster fry from a large 
aquarium as it does from battery jars. At the new lobster sta- 
tion at Boothbay Harbor, Maine, Superintendent Hahn has used 
both the open-top and the closed-top jars, and his experience is 
very similar to that of Superintendent Corliss. He objects to 
the open-top jar when used in connection with rectangular 
aquaria. The tests have not been brought to a conclusion, but 
apparently there are objectionable features to the square 
aquaria. These were adopted at the Woods Hole station upon 
the recommendation of a Special Commission for the Investiga- 
tion of Lobsters and Soft Shell Clams. It is believed, however, 
that the Downing open-top jar or an improvement on the same 
will be decidedly preferable to the closed-top jar for hatching 
lobsters. It is less expensive than the former, and in addition 
has the other advantages already mentioned. 
