BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 
665 
Crago sepiemspinosus — Continued. 
eral)*, 7643*, 7644 (1)*, 7645 (1)*, 7653 (few)*, 
7654*, 7655 ( 1 )*, 7657 (few, 2 with eggs)*, 7660 
(with eggs)*, 7661*, 7662*, 7663 (with eggs)*, 
7672 (1)*, 7673 (with many eggs)*, 7675*, 7676, 
7677 (2 with eggs), 7678 (19), 7679 (1), 7680(1), 
7681 (several), 7682 (several), 7685 (few), 
7687, 7689 (several), 7697 (1), 7698 (few), 7699 
(several), 7700 (few), 7701 (many), 7702 (few), 
77°3 (4)> 7704 (few), 7705 (few), 7706 (many), 
7707 (few), 7708 (few), 7709 (few), 7710 (2), 
7717, 7718 (few), 7719 (few), 7722 (1), 7725 (1), 
7726 (several), 7727 (many), 7730 (1), 7731 (7), 
7734 (i). 7760. 
Phalarope and Blue Wing stations: 4 (1), 5 (1), 
8 (1 fragment), 9 (2), 13 (several with eggs), 
13 (several with eggs)*, 19*, 23*, 24 (1), 25*, 
29 (few)*, 33 (several with eggs)*, 37*, 48 (with 
eggs)*, 49*, 50*, 51 (several, some with eggs)*, 
5 2 *. 53. 55 (many with eggs), 65 (2), 67 (1)*, 
69 (several), 71 (1), 72 (few), 73 (few)*, 75 (2)*, 
78 (2), 79 (few), 80 (several), 81 (many), 82 
(very common), 83 (many), 84, 85, 89, 90, 93 
(1), 100 (1 small), 101 (few), 103, 104, 108 (sev- 
eral), 109 (many with eggs), no, in (few), 
113, 114, 115 (common), 116, 117 (several), 118 
(few), 122 (few), 123 (1), 127 (1), 129 (common), 
130 (3). 131 ( few ). 133 (*)> 134 (several), 135, 
i 37 (*)> * 3 8 (*)> I 39 ( few )> T 4 ° (1), 145 (1). 
149 (i)> I 5 ° ( I )- 
Reported by Bumpus as breeding in March. 
Egg-bearing females are common throughout 
the summer, one being reported by Thompson 
as late as September 19. 
Collected as food in the neighborhood of New Bed- 
ford, according to R. Rathbun, 1884. Am im- 
portant item in the food of fishes. Recorded 
by Verrill and Smith in the stomach contents 
of the following species: striped bass, white 
perch, kingfish, bonito, sea robin, toadfish, 
haddock, tomcod, summer flounder, window- 
pane flounder, herring, hickory shad, Raja 
Icervis (?). 
Family PENEimE. 
Peneus brasiliensis Latreille. 
Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 551 ( Penccus brasili- 
ensis; no local records); M. J. Rathbun, 1905, 
p. 19 ( Penceus brasiliensis). 
Katama Bay, 1 specimen. — Rathbun. Tisbury 
Pond, October 18, 1906; 1 specimen, taken by 
V. N. Edwards. 
Family Homarim;. 
Homarus americanus Milne Edwards. The Ameri- 
can lobster. [Chart 108.] 
Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 349, 313, etc.; S. I. 
Smith, 1879, P- 55 .' Herrick, 1895, p. 1-252; 
1902, p. 161; 1911, p. 149-408; Rathbun, 1905, 
p. 18. 
Lobster fishing by means of “lobster pots” is 
conducted extensively in Woods Hole Harbor 
and in various parts of Buzzards Bay and 
Vineyard Sound, at Menemsha Bight, and 
many other points in the region. Recorded 
by the survey from scattered stations through- 
out Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay; 
dredged in 3 to 15 fathoms on bottoms of 
sand, mud, and gravel. Lobsters come in 
toward shore in the spring, retreating to deeper 
waters in the fall. 
Fish Hawk stations: 7618 (1, 3 inches long), 7643 
(1 claw), 7654 (1 fragment), 7661 (1, 6 inches), 
7662 (1, 10 inches), 7687 (3 small), 7689 (2), 
7703 (1). 77°7 (1 young), 7724 (2), 7728 (many 
medium sized), 7730 (several), 7731 (2), 7757 
(1), 7762 (1 young). 
Phalarope and Blue Wing stations: 6 (1 frag- 
ment), 7 (fragment), 11 (1 young), 50 (1 dead), 
83 ( 1 fragment). 
According to Herrick, the mature female lobster 
as a rule lays eggs once in two years; the egg- 
laying season at Woods Hole reaches its height 
during the latter part of July, though a consid- 
erable percentage spawn during the fall and 
winter. Those eggs which are extruded in 
July are carried on the abdominal appendages 
of the female until the following May or June, 
when they hatch. 
Food: fish (which is sometimes taken alive), 
Crustacea (chiefly crabs and isopods), small 
gastropods, algae, echinoderms (starfish and 
sea urchins), and hydroids. “While the lob- 
sters are great scavengers, it is probable that 
they always prefer fresh food to stale.” — Her- 
rick. On the other hand, the lobster is preyed 
upon by various fishes, among which the 
smooth dogfish ( Mustelus canis ) must be given 
an important place. “In fact every preda- 
ceous fish which feeds upon the bottom may 
be looked upon in general as an enemy of the 
lobster. ” — Herrick. 
