142 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



ton and Matagorda Bays, of the Texas coast, are notable places for the 

 shrimp iishery. Shrimp of marketable size average about four inches 

 in length. The habit of schooling among shrimp is common, especially 

 in the fall, upon the Louisiana and Texas coasts. The shrimping season 

 extends through the year, excepting the winter months. 



The California Prawn. Pandalus Dance Stimpson. 



This is a moderately large species, which finds its way into the 

 San Francisco markets from the open ocean, between the Farallone 

 Islands and Point Keyes, where it is very abundant. It attains a 

 length of five inches, exclusive of the feelers. Fresh specimens are 

 finely marked with transverse zigzag lines of white, separated by bands 

 of red. The known range of this species is from Queen Charlotte** 

 Island, British Columbia, to Point Conception, California. It has been 

 noticed with spawn in November, December, and January, but the 

 entire length of the spawning season is unknown. This species has 

 only recently been added to the market supplies of San Francisco, from 

 the shrimp fishermen now venturing farther out to sea than formerly. 



Another and smaller species of Pandalus, of a uniform light pink color, 

 occurs associated with the above and is captured with it. Specimens 

 of a species of Pen axis, resembling Penecus brasiliensis of the east coast. 

 are occasionally brought to the San Francisco markets aud sold as 

 prawns. They sometimes measure seven inches in length. 



The New England Deep-water Prawns. Pandalus leptoceros, 



Montagui, and borealis. 



These are three closely related species of prawns, inhabiting the 

 deeper waters of Massachusetts Bay, the Gulf of Maine, and other 

 areas off the coasts of New England and the British Provinces. Pan- 

 dalus borealis attains much the largest size, while the two other species 

 are quite uniform in this respect, and only distinguishable from one 

 another by a close examination. The only differences which the fisher- 

 man would observe are those of size, and he would, therefore, naturally 

 recognize a larger and a smaller prawn, the former being Pandalus 

 borealis, and the latter consisting of the other two species. 



These three prawns have not yet found their way into the markets. 

 They occur in very much the same kind of localities, are frequently 

 associated together, but never approach near to the shore, and cannot 

 betaken in the ordinary fishing nets and traps used upon our coast. 

 They are known to tin' lobster fishermen of some part of the New Eng- 

 land coast, from the fact of their occasionally entering the lobster pots 

 in deep water. When their haunts, great abundance, and fine flavor, 

 as well as the proper methods of capturing them, become known to the 

 fishermen, it is fair to suppose that they will give rise to an important 

 industry. Such a fishery must necessarily be more difficult than the 

 shrimp and prawn fisheries of the Southern States, and would require 



