In April, 1874, a female lobster weighing about 2 pounds was caught off Hurricane Island.  Her color was a rich indigo along the middle of the upper part of the body, shading off into a brighter and clearer tint on the sides and extremities.  The upper surface of the large claws was blue and purple, faintly mottled with darker shades, while underneath was a delicate cream tint.  The under parts of the body tended also to melt into a light cream color, and this was also true of the spines and tubercles of the shell and appendages.

In 1893 a Peak Island fisherman caught a lobster about 11 inches in length whose back was of an indigo blue, and which toward the extremities and under parts was shaded off into a pure white.  The under part of the claw was also of a pure white.

Mr. Lewis McDonald, of Portland, has a pure white lobster preserved in alcohol.  It was caught in 1887.

A lobster was caught at Beal Island, near West Jonesport, which was about 6 or 7 inches in length and almost jet black.

A few bright-red lobsters, looking as though they had been boiled, have also been taken along the coast at various times.

A lobster was caught near Long Island, Casco Bay, about the year 1886, in which half of the body was light-yellow up to the middle line of the back, while the other half was bright-red.  There were no spots on the shell.

In September, 1898, Mr. R. T. Carver, of Vinal Haven, had in his possession a female lobster, about 11 inches long, of a bright-red color all over, except the forward half of the right side of the carapace and the feeler on this side, which were of the usual color.

LAWS REGULATING THE FISHERY.

In 1897 the legislature revised and consolidated the laws relating to the sea and shore fisheries of Maine, and below are given the sections relating to the lobster fishery adopted that year, together with the amendments to the act adopted in 1899, which are incorporated herewith: 

SEC. 39.  It is unlawful to catch, buy or sell, or expose for sale, or possess for any purpose, any lobsters less than 10-1/2 inches in length, alive or dead, cooked or uncooked, measured in manner as follows:  Taking the length of the back of the lobster, measured from the bone of the nose to the end of the bone of the middle of the flipper of the tail, the length to be taken in a gauge with a cleat upon each end of the same, measuring 10-1/2 inches between said cleats, with the lobster laid upon its back and extended upon its back upon the gauge, without stretching or pulling, to the end of the bone of the middle flipper of the tail, its natural length, and any lobster shorter than the prescribed length when caught, shall be liberated alive at the risk and cost of the parties taking them, under a penalty of $1 for each lobster so caught, bought, sold, exposed for sale, or in the possession not so liberated.  The possession