466 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
intense cold, although the fresh water formed by the melting of the ice may have had 
something to do with it. However, the less hardy individuals were weeded out during 
the journey, and those which survived at San Francisco were in excellent condition 
for planting. 
It was found to be injudicious to attempt the taking of frequent temperature ob- 
servations in the tanks, for every time the tanks were opened the temperature was 
sensibly increased. Before closing them on the morning of June 17 large quantities 
of salt were thrown among the powdered ice. At Buffalo, which was reached about 
noon on the same day, the temperature was 48° in the bottom of the tanks and 65° 
at the top. More ice and salt were added at Buffalo and Cleveland, and the ice was 
broken into much finer pieces than before. At 8 p. m. the trays were again thoroughly 
sprinkled with water at 32°, and three dead lobsters were removed from the upper 
tiers. 
On the morning of June 18 the second inspection was made between 4 and 6 a. 
m., and the mortality was found to have been greater than on the first day. The total 
number of dead lobsters was fifty-four, as follows : Under 10 inches long, thirty-four ; 
10 inches long and over, twenty ; males, twenty-four ; females, thirty. The condition 
of this lot with respect to shedding was the same as the previous one. The tempera- 
ture in the bottom of the tanks had, however, been lowered to 44°, and the live lob- 
sters remaining seemed to be in much better shape than on the day before. They 
were more active, and, after receiving a thorough wetting, appeared not to have suf- 
fered from the journey. 
At Chicago a much larger supply of ice than usual was procured, and every large 
interspace between the trays was closely packed with small pieces mixed with salt. 
Several jiieces of galvanized sheet-iron were also obtained, and being laid upon the 
upper trays were covered with ice and salt. The four lobsters carried in the ice-chest 
were still alive, although they had received only one bath of sea- water since leaving 
Wood’s Holl, and the loose eggs on the cloth trays had apparently suffered no injury 
up to this time. The writer left the car at Chicago and returned to Washington. 
From Chicago the car proceeded to Omaha and thence by the fast express on the 
Union Pacific Railroad to Oakland, California, where it arrived June 23. On the 
morning of June 19 only forty dead lobsters were found, and the thermometers placed 
in the upper trays registered 42°. From this time forward no difficulty was expe- 
rienced in maintaining the temperature of the tanks at between 40° and 42°, the sheet- 
iron covers furnishing the means of reducing the temperature around the upper 
trays. 
Near Rawlins, Wyoming, June 20, forty-six dead lobsters were removed, the ther- 
mometers registering 40°. When the tanks were opened, near Elko, Nevada, June 21, 
thirty-nine dead lobsters were found, the temperature being 42°. The car reached 
Sacramento in the evening of June 22, and was met there by Mr. J. D. Redding and 
Dr. H. M. Harkness, of San Francisco, both of whom were much interested in the 
success of the experiment. 
The disposition of the lobsters was left to the discretion of Prof. Leslie A. Lee, 
naturalist, and Lieut. Commander Z. L. Tanner, U. S. Navy, commander of the Fish 
Commission steamer Albatross, then at San Francisco, who were to act in conjunction 
with Mr. Redding in the matter. By direction of Captain Tanner, observations were 
