246 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XIX. Xo. 476. 



taining the normal conditions of life for 

 the clams proved satisfactory. The re- 

 siilts are probably to be published by the 

 Massachusetts Board of Health in its an- 

 nual report, and are believed to be of con- 

 siderable importance. 



(II.) 'The Lobster Problem.' At the 

 request of Capt. J. W. Collins, chairman 

 of the Fish and Game Commission of 

 Massachusetts, Dr. Field secured at Woods 

 Hole and Cuttyhunk important data con- 

 cerning the lobster industry, bearing upon 

 the biological importance of preserving the 

 adult lobsters and permitting the catchino- 

 of immature ones. Figures were obtained, 

 indicating the commercial value, in terms 

 of edible meat, of lobsters 8^, 9^ and 10-^ 

 inches long x-espectively ; also the weights 

 and measurements (Length, weight and 

 diameters of chete, thorax and abdomen) 

 of upwards of eight hundred newly caught 

 lobsters, coming from different sections; 

 and some observations upon the relative 

 numbers of mature and immature lobsters 

 in the ocean. In connection with the re- 

 commendation of a law which Avould insure 

 the perpetual protection of the adult lob- 

 ster, experiments were made looking 

 toward the adoption of a pot which would 

 exclude lobsters above eleven inches in 

 length, and permit the escape of those un- 

 der nine inches. The result of this would 

 be the automatic regulation of lobster 

 catching to practically only those sizes 

 which fell between nine and eleven inches. 

 These results will be published as soon as 

 possible. 



Irving A. Field, Denison University: 

 ' The Food of Certain Fishes of Little or no 

 Food-value' (conducted for the bureau). 

 The fishes chosen were the smooth dog-fish 

 {Mustelis canis), killifish {Fiindulus he- 

 teroclitus) , cunner {Tautogolahrus adsper- 

 sus) and toad-fish {Op&anus tau), all of 

 which are common in the vicinity of Woods 



Hole. The purpose of the study was to 

 seek for the possible economic relation 

 which these fishes might bear to the fish- 

 eries industries. Are they destructive 

 either to other fishes directly or to their 

 food? 



The method employed in these investiga- 

 tions was to take a great number of these 

 fishes from various localities about Woods 

 Hole and to preserve the stomach-contents 

 of each as soon as possible after death. 

 The various ingredients composing the con- 

 tents of each stomach were ascertained 

 quantitatively, the approximate percentage 

 of each ingredient being estimated, and 

 whenever possible, the total number of any 

 given sort of animal which had been swal- 

 lowed was determined. From data thus 

 obtained a tabulated record was made out, 

 including the date and locality of capture, 

 number of specimens (fishes) examined, 

 and the number of specimens containing 

 each kind of food. A few preliminary ex- 

 periments were also made with the dog-fish 

 for the purpose of finding products that 

 would make it of commercial value. Its 

 food value was likewise tested. The re- 

 sults will shortly be ready for publication. 



Caleb Allen Fuller, Ph.D., Providence, 

 R. I : Assisted Dr. G. W. Field in the ex- 

 periments above described. 



Frederic P. Gorham, Ph.D., associate 

 professor of biology. Brown University: 

 'Causes of Certain Fish Diseases' (con- 

 ducted for the bureau). (1) An attempt 

 to study the life-history of a fungus 

 pathogenic to lobsters; to determine the 

 paths by which the infection reaches the 

 internal tissues of the lobster; to devise 

 methods of combating the fungus. (2) 

 With Mr. Marsh a very careful study was 

 made of the causes operating in the pro- 

 duction of the gas disease and 'pop-eye' 

 in fishes kept in the aquaria (see below). 



