of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



67 



The lobsters, immediately after being hatched, swam actively about, 

 chasing copepoda and any small white particles moving in the water. 

 The two species of copepods most common in the water were determined 

 by Dr. Scott. A red copepod was Temera longicomis ; a white one was 

 Eurytemera affinis. They were both small. 



During the zoea stages, when the lobster is wholly pelagic, that is to 

 say before the pereiopods function as walking legs, a period of, roughly, 

 three weeks, it swims with its body bent in a quadrant shape, having the 

 head and thorax lying horizontal, or inclined slightly downwards, and the 

 abdomen and tail directed downwards. If it spies a copepod beneath it 

 swims directly down for it in a circling, sort of corkscrew path, and 

 follows up its prospective victim, when it escapes with a smart dart off 

 for a distance of an inch or two. The pursuit may last for a little time, 

 and now and then the lobster catches and devours the copepod. When 

 the copepods are swimming above them they also detect them and swim 

 directly for them. They also notice them when in front of them and on 

 the same level. The copepods are to be seen on the side of the box, and 

 the young lobsters go poking about the side after them. 



The larval lobster, when undisturbed, swims forward at a uniform 

 speed by means of the exopodites of the pereiopods, turning sharply to this 

 side or to that to seize any object that attracts its attention, and which it 

 will pursue till it loses sight of it or has its attention distracted by another 

 form. When surprised it jerks backward by means of its abdomen and 

 telson. 



The young lobsters were usually close to the surface of the water. No 

 food was provided regularly for them, except what was brought in with 

 the water supply. On a few occasions a little of the liver of the crab 

 {Cancer pagurus) was supplied them. They pursued the little white 

 portions as they fell through the water, usually catching them before they 

 reached the bottom. They ate up the live zoeae of Cancer pagur us when 

 these were poured into the box. 



While the lobster in the zoea stages no doubt eats dead organisms, as 

 Cunningham relates, it is much more active in the pursuit of living 

 animals. It follows, from the fact of its pelagic existence, that it must 

 feed on living forms. 



The lobsters were kept for varying periods. When set free they were 

 mostly in the second and third stages ; some were in the first stage. A 

 few were reared to the megalops stage on the food in the water supply. 

 The total number set free was about 3000. They were distributed as 

 follows : — 



August 6, 1902. — 1000 larvae set free a little over 1 mile north of 

 Fraserburgh. 



August 7, 1902. — 1000 larvae set free about \ mile off Cairnbulg 

 August 19, 1902 —1000 larvse set free about \ mile off St. Comt s. 



The fry were conveyed in large glass (sulphuric acid) carboys by ran 

 to Fraserburgh. All the lobster fry (1000) were on each occasion stowed 

 in one carboy. The number of fry in the first consignment was counted, 

 and from that datum the numbers in the subsequent lots were deduced. 



No special cooling preparations were found to be necessary for the 

 journey. Experiments were made to test the effect of a possible rise in 

 the temperature of the water during the transportation. The temperature 

 of the sea- water in the hatchery was 12 -5° C. A few lobster fry were 

 put into a jar containing half-a-gallon (= \ litre) of water. The jar 

 was heated slowly until the water reached a temperature of 20° C ; it 

 was then allowed to cool. Next day the lobsters were, with two 

 exceptions, all lively ; two had succumbed. 



