46 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



the same time another force, under the direction of Mr. Hanson, began 

 work at Plymouth, Mass. The first eggs were received at the station 

 on November 28, and collections continued uninterruptedly until 

 March 23, during which period 180,230,000 were obtained at Kittery 

 and forwarded to Gloucester, besides 17,702,000 from Plymouth and 

 858,000 from local fishermen, making a total of 198,880,000 foi- the 

 season. 



The number of eggs collected was larger than usual, and of excel- 

 lent quality, which was due to a large extent to the favorable weather 

 throughout the winter. As a result of the season's work, 135,693,000 

 fry were hatched and planted along the Massachusetts coast from 

 Rockport to Beverly, and 3,000,000 were deposited in the Chesapeake 

 Bay as an experiment. 



As soon as the last of the fry were distributed arrangements were 

 made to commence the collection of egg lobsters. The Grawijus pro- 

 ceeded early in April to the coast of Maine, and with the steam smack 

 collected from all points between Portland and Eastport, shipping the 

 lobsters to the station. Arrangements were also made — at Kittery, 

 Cohasset, Boston, and all points in the vicinity of the station — with 

 fishermen for holding their egg lobsters. By the middle of May the 

 receipts from Massachusetts were very satisfactory and the prospects 

 seemed good for a large season's work, but about this time the catch , 

 decreased steadily to the end of the season. On the Maine coast the 

 season opened badlj' and the collections were smaller than usual, no 

 lobsters being received from Nova Scotia. Between April 1 and the 

 10th of July -1:,643 egg-bearing lobsters were purchased, which yielded 

 63,335,000 eggs. 



The following table shows the number collected in the various 

 localities and the jield of eggs from same : 



Locality. lobstlrs. ^^^s. 



Gloucester, Mass. , and vicinity 555 7,813,000 



Boston, Mass., and vicinity ..-. 1.461 20.044,000 



Kittery Point, Me., and vicinity 683 SK 687, 000 



Maine "coast, schooner Grampus 1,944 25.791,000 



Total 4,643 63,335,000 



Dr. H. C. Bumpus, at Woods Hole, was supplied with 1,300,000 eggs 

 for experimental purposes. The balance yielded 58,560,000 fry, which 

 were planted as shown in the table of distribution. 



The lobster eggs sliipped from Maine and other points arrived in 

 much better condition than in the past, consequently the loss in 

 hatching was small and the fry were strong and healthy. In accord- 

 ance with an agreement made with the Maine Fish Commission the 

 fry hatched from eggs collected on that coast were distributed in the 

 waters of the State. Thej^ were shipped both by the schooner G-rampus 

 and by messenger and were planted in .fine condition. The adults 



