198 
bui.le:tin of the bureau op fisheries. 
parison with the measurements of lobsters 9 and 1 1 shows that it must have been sub- 
stantially correct. It will be seen that this animal approaches closely the 31 -pounder 
from New Jersey, the lengths for the carapace being 10 inches (allowing for i inch of 
the rostrum missing) and 10.28 inches, respectively, and the girth of the crusher claw 
16.87, as opposed to 17.68 inches. 
After taking account of the facts so far as ascertainable at present, my former state- 
ments regarding the weights of giant lobsfers are revised to the following effect; the 
greatest known living weight of the American lobster is 34 pounds and that of the 
European lobster about 25 pounds. (See note, p. 194.) Altogether six or seven individ- 
uals of the American species weighing 25 pounds or more are known to have been 
caught on the Atlantic coast during the last 70 years. 
The lobster (no. 12, table i) which was seen by Cobb at Peak Island, Maine, in 
1899, is said to have measured 44 inches with claws extended in front of the head. It 
was caught off Monhegan Island, Maine, and exhibited about the country by fishermen 
of that region. If this measure was correct, it would correspond to a body length of 
23 to 24 inches and a corresponding weight of upward of 32 pounds, thus being one of 
the largest lobsters on record. The ratio of body length to the total length with extended 
claws varies greatly in small and large lobsters, being as high as 72 per cent in a female 
of 3 inches and 38 per cent in a male of 10.37 inches, while in the big Belfast lobster 
(no. 6) this ratio is somewhat under 55 per cent. On the other hand the ratio of cara- 
pace length to total body length for the average 10.5-inch lobster, as applied in the 
gauge law adopted in Maine, is 45 per cent (see chapter iv, p. 212). 
In addition to the lobsters given in table i, Cobb (52) has noticed a male said to 
have measured 25 inches and to have weighed 25 pounds. It was caught in a hake 
trawl off the Matinicus light, Maine, at a depth of 60 fathoms, in 1898. The given length 
in this case does not aecord with the given weight, and is probably much too great. 
Another lobster is mentioned by Hadley { 126 ) as having a length of 22.5 inches, but 
weighing only 19.5 pounds; the same kind of difficulty is presented here, the length 
calling for a much heavier individual. Waite (274) has also recorded the measurements 
of a large male lobster, which was captured at Block Island April 10, 1896, measured 
21 inches and weighed when alive slightly over 22 pounds. The length and girth of 
the cracker and toothed claws were 13.25 and 16.5 inches, and 12.75 12.25 inches, 
respectively. 
In June, 1898, Dr. H. M. Smith called my attention to a large lobster which had 
been recently captured in New Jersey and which was reported to have measured 23 
inches in total length and to have weighed 36.5 pounds. Through the kindly aid of the 
late E. G. Blackford of the Fulton Market, New York, we were able to obtain a reliable 
account of this interesting specimen, together with the necessary measurements, which 
are given in table i. This lobster was caught on June 21, 1898, byafisherman in New 
York Bay, off East Forty-sixth street, near Bayonne, N. J., and was taken alive to the 
Bayswater Hotel, where it was on exhibition in a tank for several days. The man who 
was sent by Mr. Blackford to take the required measurements found that the animal 
