of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



89 



1897 the proportion of berried hens during the months March to July, 

 amounted in some cases to 50 per cent, of the females captured. For 

 the four months April to July, at Cadgwith in 1899, out of a total of 443 

 females, 108 were berried hens. 



Meek has published statistics of the catch of lobsters and crabs during 

 the past six years, 1899-1904, both inclusive. The monthly totals at 

 Seahouses and Beadnell are given for each year. The lobsters are classified 

 as hard, small, and berried. The largest number of berried females were, 

 as in Cornwall, captured in April, May, June, and July. For the six 

 years the berried hens made up on the average in these months 28, 34, 

 32 -7, and 22*8 per cent, respectively of the females captured at Sea- 

 houses. 



The Casting of the Lobster. 

 The Male Lobster. 



A male lobster obtained in October 1903 was kept in a tank along 

 with four soft female lobsters. On April 14th 1904 it was found to have 

 cast, and on July 14th following it was already hard. It was noticed that 

 it was an eager feeder. When examined on November 19th it appeared 

 to be soft to the touch, and on November 21st it had again moulted ; 

 that was after an interval of seven months only from the previous cast. 

 It was killed by the female lobster that was with it in the tank. It had 

 bled to death ; the injuries were not very extensive. It measured at its 

 death Ilk inches in total length. 



Two male lobsters which were kept in confinement by Brook cast 

 twice in each of two successive years. One, measuring 7-J- inches in 

 length, cast in (1) May and again in (2) September 1883, and also in (3) 

 May and (4) October 1884. The size after each cast was (1) 7Jf inches, 

 (2) 8|f inches, (3) 9| inches, (4) 9f inches. The second male lobster 

 measured inches. It cast in (1) July and (2) December 1883, and 

 in (3) June and (4) November 1884. The size after each cast was (1) 

 7 T 3 ff inches, (2) 8 inches, (3) 8? inches, (4) 9f inches. 



The Casting Periods. 



The lobsters which moulted at the Laboratory did so in the following 

 months : — April, July, August, September, October, and November. All 

 these observations refer to adult lobsters 8 inches and over in length, 

 which were nearly all females. Most of the females were lobsters which 

 were berried when they arrived at the Laboratory. In the following 

 Table they are indicated by the letters e.h. (eggs hatched). 



The Table which follows shows the date on which the lobster cast, its 

 length before casting, and sex. The interval of time that has elapsed 

 since the eggs were hatched is given in one column, and the interval 

 between two successive casts is shown in the three cases where it occurred. 



The numbers indicate separate moults : the same lobster appears twice 

 in three cases. 



[Table. 



