THE DEEP-WATEE PEAWNS. 819 



English, among other things, in the character of its rostrum and in its smaller size. The rostrum 

 of the latter is divided or double at the tip, and specimens range in length from three to five 

 inches. 



P. vnlgaris ranges from Massachusetts Bay to Northern Florida. North of Cape Cod, how- 

 ever, it is rare. It is very common among eel-grass, etc., in Vineyard Sound, Buzzard's Bay, 

 Fisher's Island Sound, and Long Island Sound. Thence it has been recorded from the south side 

 of Long Island, and from numerous points along the coast of New Jersey and the Southern States, 

 as far south as Saint John's Eiver, Florida. The localities inhabited by this species are described 

 as follows by Professor Verrill : ' 



"The common Prawn has its true home among the eel-grass (in brackish water), and here it 

 occurs in countless numbers. ... It is also very abundant in the pools and ditches (of the 

 muddy shores in brackish water), even where the water is but little salt, and also occurs in 

 immense numbers on the muddy bottoms." 



It likewise abounds on the muddy bottoms iu pure salt water. On sandy bottoms in both salt 

 and brackish water it often occurs associated with Crangon vulgaris, but not in large numbers. 



THE RIVER SHEIMPS PALJSMON OHIONIS, Smith; PAL^MONETES EXILIPES, Stimpson. 



Only two species of river Shrimp have yet been described from the United States east of 

 the Mississippi Eiver, and they seem to be used as food in only a few localities. At New Orleans, 

 however, one species, the Palcemon ohionis, is very much esteemed. 



In this species, the carapax or anterior part of the body is smooth, stout, and considerably 

 swollen, with a short rostrum. Specimens from the Ohio Eiver measured in total length of body 

 from two to three and one-fourth inches, the carapax occupying about one-fourth of this length. 

 The original specimens from which the species was described were from the Ohio Eiver at 

 Cannelton, Indiana, where it is taken for food. Since then it has been found over a larger area, 

 including the vicinity of New Orleans. 



Palcemonetes exilipes is a much smaller species than the above, measuring only about an 

 inch and a half in total length. It has been recorded from Sandusky Bay, Lake Erie; Ecorse, 

 Michigan; Somerville, South Carolina; and from fresh-water streams in Florida. It is probably 

 quite widespread in its distribution, but we are not aware of its ever having been used as food, 

 probably on account of its small size. 



THE DEEP-WATER PRAWNS PANDALTJS BOREALis, Kroyer; LEPTOCEROS, Smith; MONTAGTTI, 



Leach; PROPINQUITS, Sars. 



These species of Prawns, which resemble one another very closely in appearance and 

 structure, are exceedingly abundant in the deeper waters of Massachusetts Bay, the Gulf of 

 Maine, and elsewhere off the coast of New England, the British Provinces, and southward as far 

 as Virginia, at least. 



Pandalus borealis grows to a much larger size than the other three species, but all are large 

 enough to serve as food, and sufficiently abundant in the localities where they occur. Unfor- 

 tunately they never approach the shore, and the ordinary methods of taking shrimp in shallow 

 water will not answer for their capture. If some means of taking them easily could be devised, 

 they would undoubtedly find a ready sale in the Boston and New York markets, for they have an 

 exceedingly good flavor. 



Pandalus borealis attains a length of seven inches. As to color, it is, according to Professor 

 Verrill, " thickly sprinkled with small, red, stellate spots, which, from closer aggregation, make the 



1 Vineyard Sound Report, 1871-'72. 



