or watchful immobility. Each bending and twist- 

 ing is accompanied by the spasmodic opening of 

 the four flaps adjoining the large cruciform slit- 

 opening on the front of the brood-pouch. At the 

 moment I do not connect this comical behavior 

 with travail, and I laugh outright — but not 

 long ... a little antennaed head appears at the 

 crisscross opening. Whether such inordinate writh- 

 ings contribute to the easier egress of her young 

 or are merely exertions to rid herself of incommo- 

 dious baggage cannot be determined ; at any rate, 

 another moment sees the young skeleton-shrimp 

 pull itself clear. And like a measuring-worm, 

 bringing up its rearmost end and extending for- 

 ward as it progresses, it clambers down the mother 

 to hook its lower leg around one of hers, where it 

 immediately assumes the mantid-like pose peculiar 

 to Caprellidg. 



A minute or two elapses and another skeleton- 

 shrimp climbs out into the world, and then an- 

 other, and another, until I count an even dozen. 

 Each in the manner of the first secures a hold on 

 some part of the mother's frame and rears itself 

 with all the perfection of an adult — just as if 

 it had been doing this sort of thing times with- 



[i43] 



