190 EXPERIMENTAL LOBSTER-HATCHERY. 



Owing to the great interest which, the fishermen took in 

 these experiments I was able to obtain another female lobster 

 with ripe berries at once, and on the morning of the 4th of 

 September I was again gratified to find a score or more of young 

 larvse swimming inside the hatchery. 



During the night of the 6th, or early morning of the 7th of 

 September, one of the ports, either by accident or design, was 

 smashed in, and all the larvse escaped. Owing to the lateness 

 of the season I was unable to obtain any more ripe-berried 

 lobsters, and so my experiments came to an abrupt termination. 



Perhaps some of my readers will be inclined to ask why I 

 did not turn some of these larvae into the sea, after I had reared 

 them for three weeks. It so happens that Falmouth Harbour, 

 abounding as it does with creeks, is a natural nursery for all 

 kinds of fish; and I have no doubt in my own mind that 

 the majority of the larvse which escaped on both occasions, were 

 devoured by small pollack and other fish. The task of rearing 

 lobster -larvee is full of difficulties, but I am firmly convinced that 

 these can be overcome by patient perseverence. 



This hatchery is now on shore for the winter, and a' small 

 outlay of a few shillings is all that will be required to put it in 

 order, for the fresh experiments which I intend to undertake 



this year. 



REFERENCES. 



n 1 The Director's Report. The Journal of the Marine Biographical Association, 



^ Vol. 1, p. 117, N.S. 



^2 ) Notes on recent experiments relabing to the Rearing of Food-fish at the 



Laboratory. (1.) The rearing of lobster larvje. Journal of the Marine 



Biographical Association, Vol. 1, p. 367. 

 (3 ) Note on a Lobster Hatchery, by Prof. Herdman. Report for 1893 on the 



Lancashire Sea Fisheries Laboratory. 

 (4 ) A History of the British Stalk-eyed Crustacea, by Thomas Bell, London, 



1853. 



