126 NEW SOUTH WALES 



The other species of cray-fish (Palinurun lalandii) is often to be seen in the shop- 

 windows of the Sydney fishmongers, but it chiefly comes from Tasmania. It is 

 seldom found on the coast of New South Wales north of Twofold Bay. It is not 

 nearly so large as the Sydney ci'ay-fish, but is said to be equally valuable as food. 

 — R.R.C. 



The Prawn. 



The prawn ( Penceus esculentus) is abundant in most of our shallow bays and 

 harbours, and is a most popular article of food amongst all classes. The con- 

 sumption of this crustacean is so great that fears have been expressed that the 

 supply might become exhausted, and it is undoubted that the size of those brought 

 to market now is often much below the average of former years. We do not be- 

 lieve, however, that there is any danger of exhausting the supply for a long time 

 to come, and the only limit we would suggest to the capture of prawns is what we 

 have already advised for the protection of young fish generally — the limitation of 

 the length of the prawn nets and the size of the mesh. — E.R.C. 



There are two well-known species of Penceiis, the one just mentioned, 

 and P. macleayi. The first reaches a length of 9 inches, and the 

 second is not quite as large. Alphceus socialis, Heller, locally named 

 the " Nipper," is abundant in Port Jackson, and is a good deal sought 

 for, but not so much for food as for bait for black bream fishing. All 

 these prawns go a certain distance up the freshwater rivers. In the 

 Hunter, about West Maitland, they are much used in the end of summer 

 as a bait for perch (Lates), bream, and flathead. 



"We have also a kind of prawn in all the western fresh-water rivers. 

 It has long narrow claws and attains a pretty good size, so that it is 

 used as an article of food. This is described as Palcemon ornatus. The 

 only true shrimp {Crangon) which Australian waters are known to 

 possess is found in the Gulf of S. Vincent, S. Australia. 



The Freshwater Cray-fish. 



(Plate XLIV.) 



1. Side view, one-third natural size. \a. Rostrum, natural size. IS. Claw, 

 natural size, showing peculiar spines. Ic. Tail. 



We have several species of fresh-water cray-fish in Australia, belong- 

 ing to the genus Astacopsis, or as some naturalists call it Astacoides. The 

 genus Astacojosis differs from Astacus, the common European fresh-water 

 cray-fish, principally in having no appendices to the first segment of the 

 abdomen and some minor peculiarities of the feet. A. hicarinatus is 

 abundant in all waterholes of most of the continent. Port Essington, 

 Cape York, Brisbane, and in both eastern and western waters. These 

 cray-fish prefer still waters, and burrow in the banks, often doing much 

 injury to dams, &c. They can brave long droughts in their burrows. 

 In the western waters of New South Wales we have a larger and much 

 more ornamental species, A. serratus. (Plate XLIV). A. plehius is 

 attributed to Sydney, but it is probably from the Pacific Islands. 

 There are difierent species in Tasmania [A. franklinii), West Australia 

 {A. b-carinatus, pretssii), and North Australia {A. 4:-carinattis). There 

 is also another species in the swamps of the extreme west, which may 

 be another species of the Engoius of Tasmania, which is a small cray-fish 

 living in burrows in the swamps, considered by most naturalists a sub- 

 genus of Astacopsis. Engceus fossor is found in Gippsland : a species 

 of small size and no value, though the natives used to consume them. 



