214 



BULIvETiN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



PROPORTION OF WASTE TO EDIBLE PARTS IN THE LOBSTER. 



Atwater (n), in his chemical analysis of the flesh of the lobster, gives the propor- 

 tion of the edible parts and shell as follows : 



Percent. 



Total edible portion 39-77 



Shell 57-47 



Loss in cleaning 2-76 



100. GO 



The proportions of water and dry substance in the edible portion are estimated as 



follows : 



Water 82. 73 



Dry substance 17-27 



100. 00 

 In this relation the analysis given in table 3 will be of interest. These data were 

 obtained from a 13-inch (boiled) female lobster, with shell of medium hardness. Liter- 

 ally all of the soft and edible parts were carefully removed from the skeleton and 

 weighed. This, without doubt, accounts for the higher percentage of "edible" parts 

 obtained when compared with the result quoted above, it being assumed that all of the 

 soft tissues of this animal are edible and wholesome excepting the stomach and intestine. 

 The flesh of the lobster is rich in nitrogenous or proteid substances and contains a 

 considerable amount of phosphorus and sulphur. Its nutritive value as compared with 

 beef taken as a standard is 61.97 per cent (u). 



Table 3. — Showing Relation op Edible to Waste Parts in the Lobster. 



Total weight of items i to 9, 3 poimds 9^ ounces. 



Estimated living weight, 4 pounds 4M ounces. 



Dead weight, 3 pounds ^% ounces. 



Percentage of clear meat in claws and tail, 27. 



Percentage of all clear meat and edible parts, 55. 



Total cost at current retail-market price, at 25 cents per pound, at Tilton, N. H., June 27, 1903, 90 cents. 



Cost per pound of clear meat of big claws and tail (items i and 2), 90 cents. 



Cost per pound of clear meat and other edible parts not usually saved (items 4-7), 45 cents. 



