380 ANIMAL FOOD RESOURCES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS. 



The Norway lobster is the Nephrops norvegicus. This 

 crustacean is caught in the fiords from the southern 

 extremity up to the Loffoden Islands, but it has been 

 noticed for some years that there is a tendency in the 

 lobster to keep more towards the north, where they are 

 found of larger size. They are often taken by means of 

 a common cask, the bottom of which is replaced by 

 boughs, and a hole is left for the lobster to enter, 

 attracted by the bait of the fresh herring suspended, but 

 it cannot get out again. Osier pots are also used, but 

 of a more oblong shape than those employed with us. 

 The lobster fishery is prohibited between the 15th of 

 July and the 15th of September, and they are not 

 allowed to be taken under nine inches long. The trade 

 is pretty much centralised at Christiansund. The lob- 

 sters are there placed in large reservoirs made in the 

 centre of the fiord, where they are kept alive until 

 dispatched to Belgium or England. A part are sent off" 

 in wooden boxes, and others in quick-sailing vessels, 

 with holds having reservoirs capable of containing many 

 thousand lobsters, the sea water passing freely through 

 holes pierced in the ship's side. 



The commerce in lobsters in Belgium is not in a very 

 good state. In 1871, several cargoes were imported 

 from Brittany ; these lobsters are larger than those of 

 Norway, but the flesh is not so good, and yei they 

 sell at a somewhat higher price. 



The whole of the fishery in Norway is monopolised by 

 English speculators, so that it is difiicult to buy a lobster, 

 excepting of a diminutive size, without breach of con- 

 tract, or paying comparatively an exorbitant price. The 

 number exported annually ranged in the early part of 

 the century from 600,000 to 800,000; from 1825 to 1829 

 it was higher, reaching an average of 1,280,000; in 

 1848 607,282 were sent away. The annual export from 

 1853 to 1859 was about 800,000. In the ten years end- 

 ing with 1870 the average number shipped was 1,500,000. 

 The shipments were in 1878, 1,081,000 ; 1879, 1,019,000 ; 

 in 1880, 991,000. 



