LOBSTER. 
549 
the shell of their body ; in which state they are 
constantly found. The fishermen say the lobster 
pines before casting, till the fish in its large claw 
is no thicker than the quill of a goose, which en- 
ables it to draw its parts through the joints and nar- 
row passage near the trunk. The new shell is 
quite membranous at first, but hardens by degrees. 
Lobsters only grow in size while their shells are in 
their soft state. They are chosen for the table by 
their being heavy in proportion to their size, and 
by the hardness of their shells on their sides, 
which, in perfection, will not yield to moderate pres- 
sure. Barnacles and other small shell-fish adher- 
ing to them are esteemed certain marks of superior 
goodness* Cock lobsters are in general better than 
the hens in winter ; they are distinguished by the 
narrowness of their tails, and by their having a 
strong spine upon the centre of each of the trans- 
verse processes beneath the tail, which support the 
four middle plates of their tails. The fish of a lob- 
ster’s claw is more tender, delicate, and easy of 
digestion than that of the tail. Lobsters are not 
taken here in pots, as is usual where the water is 
deeper and more still than it is upon our coast. 
Our fishermen use a bag-net fixed to an iron hoop, 
about two feet in diameter, and suspended by three 
lines like a scale. The bait is commonly fish-guts 
tied to the bottom and middle of the net. They 
can take none in the day-time, when the water is 
thick and opake ; they are commonly caught in the 
night, but even then it is not possible to take any 
2 N 
VOL. II. 
