Contributions front the Biological Laboratory of the U. S. Fish Commission, 
Woods Hole Massachusetts. 
ON THE MOVEMENTS OF CERTAIN EOBSTERS LIBERATED AT WOODS 
HOLE DURING THE SUMMER OF 1898. 
By HERMON C. BUMPUS, 
Director of Biological Laboratory of the U. S. Fish Commission at IVoods Hole. 
For several years, during tlie spring and early summer, a large number of egg- 
bearing lobsters have been collected from the shores of Connecticut, Rhode Island, 
and southern Massachusetts and brought to the hatchery at Woods Hole, where the 
eggs have been removed and the “stripped” animals returned to the ocean, either at 
Woods Hole or, in special cases, near the place of capture. The lobsters were of good 
size, generally exceeding 10£ inches in length, although some were smaller, especially 
those from the shores of Rhode Island, where the marketable length is only 9i inches. 
It occurred to the writer that data respecting the movements and habits of female 
lobsters at the close of the breeding season might be secured if the animals should be 
tagged before liberation, and accordingly copper tags, bearing consecutive numbers and 
the request that they be returned to the Commission, were attached to the rostrums 
of about 500 specimens, and these animals were liberated during June and July, 1898. 
On the 17 th of June 31 lobsters, numbered 582 to 015 inclusive, were “stripped,” tagged, 
and liberated in Vineyard Sound, near Lackey Bay. Six of these were subsequently 
captured by lobster fishermen and the tags were returned to the Commission. 
This group of lobsters yielded data as follows : 
No. 
Liberated. 
Recaptured. 
No. of 
Distance 
Direction. 
Locality. 
Date. 
Locality. 
Date. 
days free. 
(miles). 
594 
596 
604 
(?) 
July 11 
(?) 
9 
ssw. 1 
0 
Vineyard Sound 
24 
0 
1 
0 
0 
. ...do ... 
July 5 
July 11 
(?) 
18 
0 
0 
609 
24 
( ?) 
0 
0 
on 
....do ... 
9 
ssw. 
The four recaptured near the place of liberation were taken by Mr. Alfred Nick- 
erson, whose traps are near the southerly opening of Woods Hole, extending from 
Nobsque to Lackey Bay. The distance traveled by these lobsters can, therefore, 
only be estimated, although the most remote traps were probably not more than a 
mile or two from the point of liberation. One was captured on the day of its liberation. 
Mr. Hillman, whose traps were located near Gayhead, returned tags 594 and 611 
to the Commission, but unfortunately he did not return dates with his tags, so that 
F. C. B. 1899—15 225 
