Mr. W. Thompson on the Crustacea of Ireland. 109 



is that used at the South L^lands of Arran (off Galway bay). It is 

 of the form and about the size of a tenor-drum. The frame-work 

 consists simply of a small hoop at each end fastened to three almost 

 equally light but tough pieces of wood, so as to jiresent the drum 

 form ; over all a net is stretched, having an opening in the centre of 

 each end. The bait used is iish. 



Nephrops Norvegicns, Leach, Mai pi. 36; Edw. Crust, t. ii. p. 33G ; 



Desm. p. 213. pi. 37. f. 1. 

 Norway Lobster, Penn. Brit. Zool. p. 23. pi. 13. f. 1. 



Templeton says of this — " a rare species, but sometimes found in 

 Belfast lough." I have heard of its being taken near Portaferry about 

 the entrance to Strangford lough, and that it has been procured in 

 numbers off Dundrum on the Down coast, but specimens have not 

 come under my observation from any of these localities. It is brought 

 in great quantities to Dublin as an article of food, and is chiefly used 

 by the poorer people. iVIr. H. Ball informs me that the species is 

 very numerous in Dublin bay, near the Pigeon House, and that 

 hence the town is supplied : he has taken the Nephrops along with 

 echini and star-fish from the stomachs of cod bought in Dublin. 



Specimens have been obligingly sent to me from the island of 

 Holyhead (Wales) by Captain Fayrer, R.N. 



Crangon vulgaris. Leach, Mai. pi. 37 B ; Edw. Crust, t. ii. p. 341 ; 



Desm. p. 218. pL 38. f. 1. 

 Astacus crangon, Penn. Brit. Zool. j). 26. pi. 16. f. 2. 



The shrimp, being an article of food, is noticed in several of our 

 old county histories. It is common on the sandy shores and adjacent 

 saline marshes from north to south of Ireland. The western shore of 

 Belfast bay was many years ago of a hard sandy nature, so as to 

 admit of being ridden over by persons on horseback. At that period, 

 as I am informed, shrimps abounded there, and were regularly sought 

 for as objects of sale. At present this same part of the shore is 

 soft and oozy, and the shrimps so very limited in number and small 

 in size that they are never looked after. Although this species chiefly 

 frequents sandy shores, I have occasionally seen it brought up in the 

 dredge from deep water and at a considerable distance from land, in 

 the loughs of Strangford and Belfast. Mr. R. Ball mentions that 

 shrimps, though taken in large quantities at Youghal, are held in 

 little esteem, but that the pra^^^l (Palemon ssrratiis), caught abun- 

 dantly at spring-tides, is much thought of — this latter is called 

 " shrimp " there ; the former the " gray shrimj) :" this term is also 

 used in Smith's 'History of the County of Cork,' written nearly a 

 century since. 



" Pontophilus spinosus," Leach, Mai. pi. 37. 

 Crangon cataphractus, Edw. Crust, t. ii. p. 343. 



In Mr. J. V, Thompson's collection there is a specimen bearing 

 the former name, and marked as Irish. It is much to be regretted 

 that the notice of the Irish Crustacea in this collection (now in the 

 College of Surgeons, Dublin,) is limited to a single letter, the initial 



