44 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Table 9. — Time of spawning of the lobster at different points on the coast of Maine . 1 
No. 
Locality. 
Date of 
exami- 
nation of 
eggs. 
Stage of development. 
Age 
of em- 
bryo. 
Date of 
extrusion 
of eggs. 
1 2 
1893. 
Aug. 26 
Days. 
29 
July 28 
Aug. 25 
July 30 
July 31 
3 
Aug. 28 
3 
4 7 
33 
8 
North Haven 
Aug. 28 
Eye-spot a small crescent 
29 
9 
Aug. 26 
Aug. 31 
...do 
29 
July 29 
Aug. 2 
10 
. . do 
29 
11 
. . do 
28 
12 13 
29 
Aug. 2 
Aug. 4 
Aug. 5 
14^17 
Sept. 2 
Aug. 26 
29 
18 
do 
Post-nauplius stage 
21 
19 20 
27 
July 10 
Aug. 10 
21 
do 
Aug. 31 
Post-nauplius stage 
21 
22 
Sept. 1 
Aug. 26 
21 
Aug. 11 
23 
15 
Do. 
24 
Sept. 2 
Aug. 31 
15 
Aug. 18 
Aug. 29 
25-26 
. . do 
it 
The results given in tables 8 and 9 are combined in table 10, which may be 
compared with table 7. In the first column, taken from table 8 (in which some of 
the lobsters were brought from Nova Scotia to Southport, Maine), all but three 
individuals extruded eggs during the first half of August. In the second column 
46 per cent laid eggs during the same period. Combining the results of the obser- 
vations at Woods Hole for five years, 1889-1893 (table 7), we find that 52 per cent of 
egg-bearing lobsters, in all cases observed, laid in the latter half of July, while about 
21 per cent spawned during the first half of July and an equal number in the first half 
of August. We find that 66 per cent of the individuals recorded in table 10 laid eggs 
during the first half of August. These results tend to show that the summer spawning 
season in the middle and eastern districts of Maine is about two weeks later than in 
Vineyard Sound. 
Table 10.— -Time of spawning of the lobster on the coast of Maine for the summer of 1893. 
Spawning period. 
Data from 
table 8. 
Data from r rv - n 
table 9. lotals ' 
July 1-15 
1 
2 3 
J uly 16-31 
0 
8 8 
August 1-15 
22 
12 34 
August 16-31 
2 
4 ! 6 
N umber examined 
25 
26 51 
FALL AND WINTER EGGS AT WOODS HOLE. 
The catch of egg-bearing lobsters in the harbor of Woods Hole for seven consecu- 
tive mouths is given in table 11. Out of a total of 168 captured, 21 per cent were 
taken in January, 6 per cent in February, and 20 per cent in April. Of the entire 
number, 25.5 per cent bore eggs which had been laid during the fall and winter mouths. 
This fact was determined in the following way. Some of the eggs of every lobster 
captured were preserved and carefully examined. Where no eye pigment was present 
it was at once evident that the eggs had been laid at a comparatively recent date. In 
all other cases the pigmented areas of the eyes were drawn to scale and compared with 
‘For the collection of eggs at various points on the coast and islands north of Massachusetts I 
am particularly indebted to Messrs. F. W. Collins of Rockland, M. B. Spinney of Cliffstone, J. W. Fisher 
of Eastport, and also to Mr. Greenleaf of Viual Haven, Maine. 
