42 
One hundred lobsters were marked with numbered labels and 
liberated as stated. Of these, it will be seen that a very complete 
return was obtained with regard to the 10 liberated on the beach on 
April 28th. Eight were captured ; 4 on May 29th and 80th f mile 
out, and a female on July 4th mile out. A male went 1 mile 
along the shore to the south in 19 days, and 2 males had found 
their way evidently also along the shore 2 miles to the north in 
a month. The female which was caught on July 4th was liberated 
once more from the beach, and was captured for the third time 
a month later in the same place where she was got the second time, 
viz. : — | mile out. 
The female which was captured on June 5th was sent by 
Mr. Douglas to Cullercoats. She was put into one of the tanks, 
and commenced hatching early in July, finishing the process about 
the 14th. On the morning of 14th October she was found to have 
cast her “shell,” and on 6th November, while still soft, she was 
labelled and put into the sea in Cullercoats Harbour. We hope 
that she may once more come into our hands. (The cast “shell” 
measured Ilf" and the lobster 12|".) 
It is very possible that a number of those marked moved out 
of the Beadnell district, and, though captured again, lost so far as 
the experiment is concerned, although we took care to make it as 
widely known as possible that the experiment was being made. 
Even in Beadnell, we understand that the experiment was viewed 
with disfavour by certain of the fishermen, who would, therefore, 
more than likely remove the label and destroy it. 
But, on the whole, it is clear that lobsters in their adult state 
are quite local in their movements. The following from a letter 
which Mr. Douglas sent me on November 9th, 1901, confirms this 
view : — “ Last season, I marked some berried lobsters with copper 
wire and put them into the sea where they were caught. One v r as 
caught this season on the same ground with no berries on her.” 
If she had not remained on the same ground during the time she 
was in “berry” she had come back to it, and her migrations could 
not have been to any great distance. The fishermen may rest 
assured, therefore, that the berried lobsters which are returned to 
the sea remain as a rule in their own district. 
