88 



Part III. — Twenty-third Annual Report 



eggs, which appear to have been freshly extruded. They were not 

 retained at the Laboratory ; the clean-hatched lobsters were preserved 

 alive. During the winter that followed none, so far as was noticed, 

 spawned, and on January 23rd 1904, of the three that remained, none 

 was berried. One lobster cast on July 9th 1904. The cast shell was 

 clean ; the antennas which had been most exposed to the light had some 

 algae growing on them. It died on July 14th. The second lobster cast 

 on July 13th, and the third on July 25th. 



By October 21st 1904 only one survived, and it was not berried. It was 

 examined again on November 19th 1904, January 12th 1905, May and 

 June 19th 1905, and on each date found to be unberried. 



Berried Lobsters op 1904. 



A stock of berried lobsters, 20 in number, were obtained from Girvan 

 and Dunbar in June and July 1904. All but five hatched their eggs by 

 the end of August. These were still berried on October 12th 1904. Of 

 the others, one cast in August, one cast in September, four more had cast 

 by October 12th 1904, a seventh cast on October 29th 1904, and the 

 eighth was found cast on November 1st 1904. Of the fifteen which 

 hatched their eggs, eight cast their shells by November 1st. The 

 remainder, seven in number, were examined on December 15th 1904, 

 January 12th 1905, May 8th and June 19th 1905. None had become 

 berried. At the examination in May one had died. 



Six of the soft lobsters had died by November 16th 1904; none of 

 them had spawned. On January 12th two were alive, but they had 

 succumbed by May 6th 1905. 



When the berried lobsters were examined on October 12th 1904 the 

 external eggs showed, under the microscope, a considerable pink area at 

 one pole, wherein were to be made out the pigmented eyes and the rudi- 

 ments of the limbs. The great mass of the egg consists of black yolk. 

 The lobsters had probably spawned their eggs just before they were 

 captured in July. 



On January 12th 1905 the reddish or amber-coloured area had increased 

 a little ; it extended well round the black yolk. The eye of the embryo 

 has a prominent black retina ; the limbs are distinct. 



When examined on May 6th 1905 the eggs showed a further increase 

 in the red area ; it extended almost completely round the yolk, but was 

 still narrow in most of the eggs. At this date four lobsters remained ; of 

 these, one had got rid of its eggs. Two were clean on June 19th 1905. 

 The eggs of the two others were far advanced. 



Proportion of Berried Hens in the Catch of Lobstees. 



As to the proportional numbers of berried to unberried females cap- 

 tured by the fishermen, Herrick's observations showed that in April 

 and May the largest percentage of berried females were captured in 

 Wood's Hole Harbour. In these months the berried females formed 40 

 and 36 per cent, respectively of the total number of female lobsters 

 taken. 



Ehrenbaum found that at Heligoland the berried hens were taken in 

 largest numbers in July, August, and September, during which months, in 

 the period covered, the percentages were 35, 46, and 44 respectively of 

 the total females. 



Cunningham's statistics of the lobsters caught in the Cornwall district 

 show that in April, May, June, and July the berried females form a 

 considerable proportion of the total catch. In the three years 1895- 



