FOOD FROM THE CRUSTACEANS AND MOLLUSCA. 383 



1882. 1883. 



Preserved in pound cans ... 16,803,736 13,364,020 



Lobsters in weight tons 1,812 964 



„ alive thousands 258,000 1,195,120 



chiefly in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince 

 Edward Island. New Brunswick preserved in tins in 

 1883, 4,042,954 cans, and 925 tons of live lobsters were 

 shipped in the year, and Prince Edward Island 3,844,573 

 cans at 8d. per can. The average quantity canned in 

 Nova Scotia is 5,000,000 cans. An extensive trade has 

 sprung up in shipping live lobsters to the United States, 

 about 1,000,000, a large number are also consumed 

 locally. In Nova Scotia there was a short catch in 1883, 

 although 17,000,000 lobsters were trapped, about four 

 to five lobsters were required for one pound can ; 

 5,198,720 cans, equal to 108,307 cases of forty-eight 

 cans, were put up in 1882, and 4,870,339 cans in 1883. 

 The prices in 1883 were 5^ dollars a case, against 4^ 

 dollars in 1882. About £2,000 worth of lobsters were 

 sold to American smacks. 



In Newfoundland the average annual value of the 

 lobsters exported is about £21,700. 



From "20,000 to 30,000 lobsters are collected annually 

 on the rocks of Heligoland ; the close season being from 

 the 13th June to the 13th of September. These are 

 stored in lobster boxes containing often as many as 200 

 each, the lobsters being either for local use or sent to the 

 Continent, where Heligoland lobsters are greatly prized. 



Lobsters are taken in wicker baskets called lobster 

 pots. These are about three feet long and two feet wide, 

 semi-cylindrical in form, that is, the bottom is flat and the 

 sides and top are in the form of an arch. At each end 

 is an opening for the ingress of the lobster ; around this 

 opening are placed short, flexible pieces of wood, project- 

 ing into the basket, so arranged that they will easily 

 separate and allow the lobster to enter ; but their points 

 close together after him and prevent his egress. They 

 have a door upon the top, through which the lobster is 

 taken out. A long line is attached to these pots ; a 



