The Prawn (Palamori), Fewness, Essex Coast. 247 



seaweeds and zoophytes abound, and with a relatively limited 

 breeding season, terminating somewhat abruptly. 



(6) The Brown (Common or Sand) Shrimp (Crangon) is an 

 all-round coast, inshore form, frequenting shallow, sandy and 

 muddy grounds ; less migratory, widespread yet peculiarly 

 estuarine in habit, at times resident in most brackish waters ; 

 predisposed to an omnivorous diet, and with a nearly continuous 

 or only partly intermittent breeding season. In both species 

 amatory congregations we take for granted are autumnal. 



These differences, though slight and not sharply denned in 

 all particulars, nevertheless give rise to certain variations in 

 their mode of fishery, of which more anon. 



The COMMON PRAWN (Palasmon Serratus). This species may 

 be reckoned as fairly abundant during the summer months and 

 fall on the Kentish shores. It appears to be somewhat scarcer 

 or more irregularly distributed within the Thames estuary, 

 thins away in numbers on the Essex coast northwards, and 

 becomes quite a rarity towards Yarmouth.* The Harwich 

 shrimpers affirm that as a rule it is only on chance occasions 

 that they bring up a few among the contents in their trawl. 

 Various individuals tell the same tale of their luck in obtaining 

 an odd half or whole gallon either in the East Swin or in the 

 neighbourhood of roughish ground, east of the Naze. 



Prawns do not form any special fishery among the Leigh- 

 men, nor from Southend. During every summer and autumn, 

 however, a scattered few occasionally are caught in their trawl- 

 nets among the shrimps, with which evidently they associate. 

 It is asserted by the older fishermen that in former times 

 prawns were somewhat more abundant in the upper estuary 

 of the Thames than they are at present. Over 30 years ago, 

 when the Leighmen used freely to fish in the Medway, almost 

 every autumn they would by chance have a good haul of 

 prawns, but the men did not make a constant practice of going 

 out for them alone. The greatest quantity, it seems, was 

 obtained in the Medway, somewhere between Cockle Shell 



* Patterson in " Zool.," April, 1898, says : " The news of the capture of one by a 

 shrimper becomes quite an item of conversation amongst the fraternity." 



