15G 



HARDWICKE'S SCI ENCE-GUS SI P. 



SHUIMPS AND PRAWNS. 



IT is astoiiisliing, in vulgar classification, how size 

 and colour determine conclusions. Its reason- 

 ing is based on just the opposite grounds to those 

 of science. The latter investigates, analyses, wants 

 to know the reason for every organ, rudimentary 

 or otherwise, and refuses to be satisfied with the 

 statement that they are complementary. It has too 

 much faith in the wisdom of the Creator to believe 

 in sports or freaks of any kind whatever. Every 

 organ, whether in use or not, has a meaning ; and, 

 if we could get at it, it would doubtless help us to 

 the history, not of the individual merely, but of the 

 species and even genus to which its possessor be- 

 longs. 



Among the common zoological objects with which 

 the public generally come in contact, perhaps no 

 greater ignorance is displayed than in their notion g 



that when they have arrived at a certain size ihey 

 separate from the older ones, the latter retiring 

 farther from the shore to, return again, however, 

 when they have reached the adult condition. It is 

 only when they have arrived at the latter stage that 

 the fishermen condescend to regard them as true 

 praw//s^a.\'id to charge for them as such ! 



Tiie tail of the "red shrimp," or prawn, is worthy 

 of notice. It is composed of five plates, capable 

 of being folded like a lady's fan. Each plate is 

 edged with setaj, and when alarmed, by expanding 

 the tail and suddenly striking the water with it, its 

 possessor can drive itself backwards to a surprising 

 distance. It is almost comical to watch this animal 

 investigating a strange locality^o see how gin- 

 gerly it seems to walk on the very tips of its long 

 feet, and how its swimmerets or paddles are mean- 

 time rapidly working beneath the abdomen. It 

 progresses by means of these swimmerets exactly 

 on the principle of a paddle-boat, and uses its tail 

 only to retreat from danger. 



Another common species of prawn is often sold as 

 a shrimp. This is the Pakemon squilla (fig. 105), 

 which resembles the true shrimp even more than 



Tig, 104. Palitmon serratus. 



of "shrimps." The old adage that all is fish which 

 comes into the net is realized here, for all are 

 shrimps tiiat are sold as such. The only difTerence 

 recognizable is that some are known as " red 

 shrimps," and some as " brown." The appetizing 

 flavour of these delicate crustaceans is perhaps not 

 conducive to popular examination or dissection 

 other than the stomach requires, or the great differ- 

 ence between the "red" and "brown" so-called 

 shrimps would be recognizable at once. In fact, 

 the "red shrimp" is not a "shrimp" at all, but a 

 young prawn ! It is known in many places as the 

 "Rock shrimp," from its habits. The rostrum, or 

 prolongation of the carapace between the antennw, 

 is the distinguishing feature of the prawn. In our 

 common species this is toothed like a saw (fig. 104), 

 whence its name of Falamon serratus. Of its two 

 pairs of antennre, the outer are very long, twice as 

 long as the animal's body. It is only in the young 

 state that this species approaches our shores ; 

 but its times and seasons are well known to 

 " shrimpers," and it falls a victim to its littoral 

 curiosity. Bell tells us that in some parts the 

 fishermen consider they drive away the true prawns ; 

 but the Professor believes this is due to the fact 



Fig. 103. Palamon squilla. 



the foregoing'; si ill you may trace a similar ser- 

 rated rostrum. The antennre are not so long, and 

 only the first pair of legs have pincers, whilst in 

 the fore-mentioned species the first two pairs are 

 provided with them. The common shrimp has a 

 simple hook, bent, and springing out of a thickened 

 base. The serratus when adult is four inches long, 

 the squilla attaining only half that length. Two 

 other and rarer species of prawn inhabit our seas, 

 but these are not often sold as shrimps. In 

 Great Yarmouth, however, another genus of 

 crustacean shares the honour with the prawn of 

 being an edible shrimp. This is the Pandalus 

 annulicoriiis, whose serrated rostrum and long 

 autennse give it a great resemblance to the serratus. 

 So abundant is it cff (his part of the Norfolk coast, 

 that its capture provides many fishermen with con- 

 stant employment. It differs from the true shrimp 

 in occurring at a considerable distance from the 

 shore; hence it goes by the name of the "sea 

 shrimp." The greatest length it attains is tw^o and 



a half inelies. . 



And now for our old, true, and tried friend, whicli 



