MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. 29 



he succeeded in obtaining 39 berried lobsters with nearly ripe 

 eggs, a substantially larger supply than had hitherto been 

 attainable. As the lobsters were brought in they were at once 

 put into the pond, in which a number of hiding places, built 

 of bricks and rough stone, had been prepared. The first 

 newly-hatched larvae were taken from the pond on May 28th, 

 and from that date to September 5th constant and sometimes 

 large supplies of larvae were obtained, the total number being 

 40,500, an average of about 1,039 per adult lobster. Of these, 

 16,000 were set free in the first and second stages, and 24,500 

 were placed in the hatching boxes. By daily feeding with 

 finely-minced fish, ' liver ' of the edible crab and plankton, 

 and the maintenance of scrupulous cleanliness in the hatching 

 boxes, Mr. Cregeen succeeded in rearing 1,823 larvae to the 

 fourth or ' lobsterling ' stage (see fig. 3). 



"As in all our previous experience of lobster culture, 

 there was heavy mortality at the periods of ecdysis ; but 

 the loss due to cannibalism was this year very trifling. 

 This was probably due to the plentiful supply of fresh 

 food supplied. Quantities of plankton were taken with 

 a coarse tow-net almost daily, and formed a considerable 

 proportion of the food of the larvae. One thousand seven 

 hundred and seventy- seven of the lobsterlings were set free 

 at suitable parts of the coast line North and South of Port 

 Erin Bay, and 46 were retained for further experiments in 

 rearing. Of 13 lobsterlings hatched during the season of 1913 

 3 still survive, but their rate of growth has been slower than that 

 of a young lobster of a similar age found in the pond several 

 years ago. 



The Aquarium. 



" Until the oubreak of war the Aquarium attracted 

 increasing numbers of visitors, and on August 1st the total 

 number was 1,054 in advance of that of the corresponding 



