90 Jellyfish, Crustaceans, &c., among WJiitebait. 



would be a different tale to tell. Still, we are dealing with 

 the facts as they present themselves irrespective of bias and of 

 what are considered true whitebait, of which more hereafter. 

 We here offer some critical remarks on the above lists grouped 

 differently. 



(A.) Invertebrates generally. 



Jelly fish, exemplified further on, are a source of great 

 trouble to the fishermen. The " flat-galls " (Medusaa) per- 

 chance in early summer effectually clog the stow-net ; the " nut- 

 galls " (Ctenophora) seldom absent during the greater part of 

 the year, betimes defy hand picking. Therefore the latter are 

 frequent among fresh whitebait, but their jelly-masses dis- 

 appear in cooking. Star fish (five-fingers) do get into the nets, 

 but are quickly routed out. Even the very small ones pass so 

 sparsely into the boxes that we have never noted one there en 

 route to market. 



Among several Crustaceans (see Figs, postea*) such as the 

 opossum-shrimps (Mysida?), and slender-bodied Idotea (Isopod) 

 the Wriggler of Leigh-lads, from their diminutive size and 

 rarity, they play a very inferior part. So do the little pea- 

 crabs. The shore-crabs that unwittingly slip into the boxes of 

 a surety may be guessed as dwarfs. Still, we have detected 

 both crab kinds in whitebait served up. On the other hand, 

 the ubiquitous shrimps are rather to the fore, for few boxes in 

 summer are without some representatives. Their colour when 

 alive so assimilates to the surrounding mass of fish, that a 

 spring of their body or wag of their antennae first calls atten- 

 tion to their presence. They freely pass on to the cook, get to 

 table and are eaten with crispine relish, though the juicy, saline 

 flavour given to the shrimpers' boiled ones, is preferable. Once, 

 when enjoying a plate of whitebait, we espied a cooked Octopus 

 not much bigger than a nut, and once again saw such another 

 alive in a box of bait. It seems these mollusks empty their ink- 

 bag among the "bait," to the latter's saleable deterioration in 

 appearance, so the baiters keep a sharp look out for them. 



