THE REPRODUCTION OF THE LOBSTER. 41$ 



nice day on Nov. 29th, 1889, I heard a Bullfinch stringing three 

 notes of its song together. On the same day a Ring Dove was 

 cooing. Stock Doves and Ring Doves are both heard in early 

 autumn, but they breed so late on in the season that we can 

 hardly consider this as an autumn song. The Great Titmouse 

 has the autumn song, and is heard sometimes in September and 

 October. The Wren sings loudly in October, but this is probably 

 merely an early opening of the regular spring song which goes on 

 in fine weather all the winter. It is also difficult to say whether 

 the vocal efforts of the Hedge Sparrow in late autumn are to be 

 regarded as the beginning of the winter song or an instance of 

 the autumn song — most probably the former. The Starling sings 

 in October ; but here again there is a difficulty in determining to 

 which category its chattering notes and whistling should be 

 assigned. The Sky Lark — notwithstanding it is a winter singer 

 in bright, mild weather — has, I think, a real autumn song, being 

 heard from mid- September on into October. I have only once 

 heard the Pied Wagtail sing in autumn (i. e. on Sept. 30th, 1894) ; 

 at the same time I must confess that I have not often heard it in 

 spring. The only time I ever heard a Magpie distinctly trying 

 to sing was on Oct. 10th; he sat in a thorn-bush jerking out a 

 succession of queer and varied notes in the oddest manner. 



The present short and incomplete essay is merely to direct 

 attention to a subject which I think, if more exhaustively treated, 

 might become a very interesting one. The remarks here offered 

 are founded on too few facts. I have not even exhausted the 

 material at my command; nor do I claim finality for any con- 

 clusions which I may seem to have drawn. I trust at some 

 future time to return to the question. 



THE REPRODUCTION OF THE LOBSTER. 

 By Francis H. Herrick.* 



The breeding habits of the Lobster, Homarus americanus, 

 is a subject about which many conflicting statements have been 

 made. These have resulted from insufficient observation, while 

 much has also been written in ignorance of ascertained facts. 



From the ' Zoologische Anzeiger,' 1894, pp. 289 — 292. 



