1916] Allrii: SptDj) Lobster of tJir C'alifoniin Coast 143 



sonally met practically all of the men engaged in fishing there. Each 

 tag was numbered. This type of tag has some advantages. It is 

 light, and can be bent to lie close to the part to which it is attached. 

 It is made of brass, which renders it inexpensive, resistant to the action 

 of the water, and at the same time conspicuous to the fisherman 

 catching the tagged specimens. The tag was fastened by means of 

 soft brass No. 24 wire. The metal of wire and of tag must be the 

 same, in order to avoid galvanic action. 



After a good deal of consideration, I decided to fasten these tags 

 to the thick stump to which the feeler is attached. This stump re- 

 mains attached to the lobster when the feeler itself is broken oif. It 

 is beset with spines that prevent the wire fastenings from slipping. 

 It is held well above the ground and is not often brought in contact 

 with objects, however much that is true of the feeler attached to it. 

 Since lobsters are handled by the feelers, these stumps are conspicuous 

 and a tag fastened to one would almost certainly attract notice. One 

 difficulty is found in the fact that the tag, to a certain extent, binds 

 the action between the second and third segments of the stump. This 

 is reduced to a minimum by fastening the tag to the underside. Since 

 the hinge movement between these segments is from side to side it 

 is not seriously interfered with by the method of attachment of the tag. 



The purchase of lobsters is expensive and I bought about 200 only, 

 which I myself tagged and put into the water at certain points. The 

 points chosen for this were Prey's Harbor and Prisoner's Harbor on 

 Santa Cruz Island, a point on the south side of Anacapa Island, and 

 the entrance to Santa Barbara Harbor. I purchased marketable 

 specimens for this work in the main, but used some twenty under- 

 sized ones on Anacapa Island because they chanced to be available. 



Certain of these tags were sent to each fisherman in the region, 

 who was engaged in catching spiny lobsters. "With them was a circu- 

 lar giving full directions for affixing the tags and for keeping proper 

 records. Post cards were furnished at the same time. These had 

 on their backs maps of the coast region along which each fisherman 

 was operating. On one half the face was printed the address and on 

 the other half were spaces for data regarding the length and sex of 

 the spiny lobster released, the number of the tag used and the date 

 of affixing. These cards were used for recording the data regarding 

 the tagging of spiny lobsters while similar cards were furnished for 

 making reports of tlieir capture. 



