of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



99 



(b) Lobsters which were not carrying eggs, but which had hatched 

 their eggs in the summer preceding the date of examination. 



(1) December 2, 1902. — Lobster 10 inches long. The shell wasdirt) 7 , 

 encrusted with Serpula sp. The ovarian eggs were large, black, oval in 

 shape, measuring 1-5 X 1*3 : 1*4 x 1*3 : 1*35 X 1"3 : 145 x l'3mm. 

 There were also rows of white eggs between the large eggs. The ovary is 

 mottled here and there on the surface with yellow bodies, which appear 

 to be fat masses. 



(2) December 1, 1902. — The ovary of another adult was all over 

 externally of a uniform dull black colour. 



(3) December 28, 1902. — A lobster measuring 10| inches in total 

 length had been two days in formaline before it was examined. The 

 ovaries were large, black, with a tinge of green. There were some white 

 and some yellow small eggs scattered over the surface between the large 

 eggs. The large black eggs measured 1*45 x 1*35 : 1*32 x l°3mm. 

 They were polygonal in shape, and stood out boss-like on the surface of 

 the ovary. The smallest yolked eggs were white, the intermediate in 

 size yellow ; even some very large eggs were yellow. The yellow colour 

 was probably due to the introduction of the green yolk into the white eggs. 

 From the burst eggs it was seen that the yolk consisted of minute green 

 corpuscles, and also a large quantity of colourless fat corpuscles. The 

 chorion of the egg is very thin and easily ruptures. There were a few 

 small eggs yellowish white in colour measuring *8 X '65mm. The 

 yellow bodies in the ovary measured about 1 x ^mm. The outer 

 skin of the ovary is very thin. 



(c) Soft Lobsters. 



(1) A lobster that hatched its eggs in the summer of 1903 cast its 

 shell and died during July 1904. It appeared to be well nourished. 

 The ovary was large; the eggs measured 1*75 x 1*4 : 17 : 1*65 X 1"4 : 

 l'5mm., &c. They were irregular in shape and very soft A portion 

 of the ovary was cut out and nicked about in sea-water with a camel hair 

 brush, and the eggs separated easily from the follicular tissue, in which 

 were the yellow bodies noticed above. 



(2) A lobster that hatched its eggs in the summer of 1904 cast its 

 shell in September 1904. It was killed by the other lobsters. The 

 ovary was large, dark-green in colour, and friable ; the eggs readily 

 detached themselves from the delicate follicular membrane. They were 

 irregular in shape, and measured T35 x 115 : 1*15 : 1*9 x 15 : 1*4 x 

 1-35 : 135 x 1-25 : l-8mm. 



(2-4) Three others which hatched their eggs in 1904 cast and died in 

 October 1904. In each the ovary was large and the eggs apparently ripe. 



(5) Another hatcher of 1904 stock was found dead on October 23rd 

 1904. The ovary was large and full, each egg being sharply separated 

 off from the others. When viewed with a lens the surface of the ovary had 

 a honeycomb appearance. The eggs separate readily from the follicular 

 tissue. 



(6) A sixth of this lot was found dead on November 16th 1904. The 

 ovary was large, black, with apparently ripe eggs. 



(7) A 1902 hatcher cast in 1903 and also in July 1904; it died 

 immediately after casting. The ovary was to all appearance ripe. 



(8) Another 1902 hatcher cast in 1903 and lived till August 1904, 

 when it was killed. On dissection it was found to be in apparently good 

 condition. The ovaries were large, and the eggs appeared to be ready for 

 spawning. 



