304 PALyRMONTD.E. 



fishermen consider them, when young, as a distinct species, 

 and assert that, at certain seasons, they drive the true 

 prawns from their ordinary place of reLjrt. The pro- 

 bability is that at the season when the young ones have 

 arrived at a certain size, they separate themselves from the 

 older ones, which at that period of the year retire further 

 from the shore. At Poole I have found the young ones of 

 this species associated with two other species of Pal&mon, 

 and the three are ordinarily sold there under the name of 

 " cup-shrimps," being measured in small cups, instead of 

 being sold by tale, as they are when larger. When of 

 middle size they still retain the name of shrimps at that 

 place, and are only called prawns when they acquire larger 

 dimensions. 



In the adult condition they frequent rocky parts of the 

 coast, delighting in still transparent water, where they may 

 be seen in numerous companies, disporting, in the most 

 elegant and beautiful manner, amongst the long fuci which 

 wave in the tide. 



Prawns are sometimes taken in bag-nets, suspended from 

 a circular ring of iron, at the end of a pole ; but in many 

 parts, the finest are caught in pots, resembling lobster-pots, 

 but smaller, and made of a closer fabric. At Eognor I 

 found that besides the baited pots or traps, each fisherman 

 had a store-pot, into which he transferred the prawns, when 

 he went his round of the baited pots, and kept them there 

 until they were wanted. 



They are found with the ovaries filled with spawn, and 

 with the abdominal false feet loaded with excluded spawn 

 at all seasons of the year. They are chiefly obtained 

 for the London markets off the Isle of Wight and Hamp- 

 shire coast ; but they arc much deteriorated by the time 

 which elapses after their capture, before they can be pro- 

 cured in the metropolis. 



