( 275 ) 



what hidden wonders in fo contemptible an animal ! and, how lit- 

 tle is it that we know ! 



The mouth of the Shrimp is not, in my judgment, calculated to 

 catch fhlies, but only to pick up its food, but that defect is well 

 fupplied by two organs placed on the fore part of the Shrimp's 

 body, and which may be compared to arms and hands ; thefe are 

 furnifhed with many joints, and at the extremities have each of 

 them two nails or claws, the larger of which is moveable, and the 

 fmaller fixed and immoveable : by the help of thefe claws the 

 Shrimp can, in my opinion, catch and hold fall many minute fifties, 

 and alfo convey them to its mouth, there to be ground fmaller by 

 the teeth. 



I have given a reprefentation of thefe claws, as feen by the mi- 

 crofcope: fig. 40, MNOPQRST, is one of them, which I may 

 call the Shrimp's hand. The part denoted by the letters N O P is 

 the nail, which I think is immoveable, and only ferves the Shrimp 

 to pierce into the bodies of fuch fmall fifhes as it catches. P Q is a 

 ftiarp bony part, which ferves to hold the prey more firmly, and is 

 covered with fliort hairs, fome of which extend beyond the edges of 

 it. Q R S is the larger claw, which the Shrimp can open and fhut 

 at pleafure, and it is liollowed on the infide, the more firmly to keep 

 its hold. Fig. 41, VWXY, reprefents the fame organ, which I 

 call tlie Slirimp's hand, in fuch a pofition that the larger claw is 

 clofcd : VW reprefents the fmaller claw, and YXY the larger, 

 which, when clofed, reaches a little beyond the fmaller, as may be 

 feen at Y.- 



I have fometimes feen thele claws broken, and in a fiate of de- 

 cay at the points, caufcd, as I fuppofe, by their firuggling ^^■it]l 

 filhes too rtrong for thcni. 



From the view of thefe ckiws in the Shrimp I was able to fatisfy 

 myfclf as to the ufe of thole very llrong claws which we obfervc 

 crabs to be provided with, and w hich, I think, are not intended 



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