■Barly Sieges of the Spiny Lohstor I’eken 
By the Boat ’’Alhecore. 
By Vteldo L, Schmitt, of the U.S. National iiusexun. 
-refatory note hy W.F.fhompeon 
fiX.Waiao L, Schmitt of the Uniter^ States Hational Miisetun, 
has maae a special study of maxine orustacaa, and the opport’^iity 
to provide him with matoriel for the study of the early .stages of 
the spiny lobster urns a very welcome one to the Fish and fame 
Coaaaission, Kis visit to this coast came at a time when the 
scientific worlc of the "Alhacore" wa.E hut fairly under way, and tho 
fact that it t.n.s ahle to provide him with n;8.terial which eecai^ to 
he of very considerahle value should he of happy portent for the 
future. The superintendence of the haiJls and of the handling of 
the nets was very conp^etontly done hy ihr .Elmer Higgins, attrched 
to the ’'Alhacore" as a scientific assistant during her work on 
lEi^val fish. 
It will he well to call attentiOii to the sigislficanco 
of the wide distrihution og the larval lobsters. These flat, 
transparent organisms are found floating freely in the water, and 
are distrihuted hy the currents. Although we do not know , of 
cc'ar3e,vhat proportion of tho larvao are carried along the coast 
by tho currcmts, nor what numhers of them finally succeed in 
ohtainlng a suitahl© footing on tho comuletion of their d ueionment, 
yet It shoxO-d he fairly clear that there is an IntcrdeperidGnce 
hotweeii v/idoiy separated, regions iilhahited hy the spiny lohster. 
nd of note 
xha invest igntiosis of the rish and dl-amo C >mraission hoat, 
the "Alha.co.re”, 'hn'>re elroa.fly yielded some valunhlo returns, dxuring 
her scientific Investigations of the commercial fishes and 
fisheries of Southern California, in tho shape of hithoroo .unlcnown 
