^popular Strtiamm) ot gmmatrtt 



641 



except in size, as to be frequently mistaken 

 for its young : its distinctive characters are, 

 however, sufficiently evident on examina- 

 tion. The chief difference consists in the 

 abdomen, which in the Sprat is more strongly 

 serrated : the back fin is also placed farther 

 from the head than in the Herring, and the 

 under jaw is longer than the upper : the tail 

 is deeply forked ; the scales are large, round, 

 and deciduous ; the upper part of the head 

 and hack dark blue, with green reflections 

 passing into silvery white on the sides and 

 belly. In length a full-sized Sprat measures 

 six inches, and nearly an inch and a quarter 

 in depth. These fish are taken in consider- 

 able numbers on our coasts, particularly the 

 southern and western ; and though not so 

 valuable as Herrings, their coming into the 

 market in immense quantities and at a very 

 moderate price immediately after the Her- 

 ring season is over, they prove very useful as a 

 cheap and agreeable food during the winter 

 months. The fishing season begins early in 

 November ; and in dark, foggy nights, es- 

 pecially, large shoals are often taken. So 

 great, indeed, is the supply occasionally, that 

 many thousand tons are in some seasons sold 

 to the Kentish hop-growers and farmers for 

 the express purpose of being used as manure. 



SPRINGBOK, or SPRINGBUCK. (Anti- 

 lojte Euchure.) Few Antelopes are more 

 entitled to our notice than the graceful 

 Springbok, whose name is derived from the 

 extraordinary perpendicular leaps it makes 

 when alarmed, or as it scours the plain. 

 These animals are gregarious, and nothing 

 is more remarkable than their habits of mi- 



BPRINOBOK. (A.NTIIAJF* BUCHOR*.) 



gration. The vast wilds in the interior of 

 South Africa, which they inhabit in almost 

 incredible multitudes, are subject to seasons 

 of such excessive drought that not a green 

 leaf or a blade of grass is visible. When this 

 scene of barrenness occurs, myriads of Spring- 

 bucks make their way towards the fertile 

 cultivated districts, which they literally in- 

 undate, to the great dismay of the colonist, 

 who is compelled to drive his flocks and 

 herds to a distant pasturage while the work 

 of desolation is going on. They continue in 

 the neighbourhood of the Cape for two or 

 I three months ; when the rainy season has 



set in they return in troops of many thou- 

 sands, covering the extensive plains for se- 

 veral hours in their passage. But their mi- 

 grations are not made with impunity : lions, 

 hyeenas, and other beasts of prey make great 

 havoc in their ranks ; and the gun of the 

 colonist is used with unerring aim. Several 

 English travellers have witnessed and de- 

 scribed these extraordinary marches, among 

 whom is Mr. Pringle, who says that he once 

 passed through one of these migratory hordes, 

 near the Little Fish river, which whitened, 

 or rather speckled, the country as far as the 

 eye could reach ; and he estimates the num- 

 bers at one time in view, at not less than 

 2o,000 or 30,000. The general colour of the 

 Springbuck is a light yellowish brown ; the 

 sides and belly divided by a broad band of 

 chestnut, which runs down part of the shoul- 

 ders : the upper part of the tail is white, 

 the lower black ; and from the tail some 

 way up the back is a stripe of white, ex- 

 pansible at pleasure. When taken young 

 the Springbuck is easily tamed, and displays 

 the confident sportiveuen of a goat. 



SQUALU8 : SQUALUME. A genus and 



family of cartilaginous voracious fishes. [See 

 SHAUK.] 



8QUATINA. 



SQUILL A ; or MANTIS CRABS. A genus 

 of Crustacea, belonging to the order Xt<>i- 

 noda. Its carapace only covers the anterior 

 half of the thorax ; the hinder being formed 

 of rings like those of the abdomen. It is 

 provided with enormous dawn, terminating 

 in a sharp hook ; the last joint furnished 

 with six sharp projecting spines, and the 

 preceding joint with three, and so hollowed 



SPOTTED MANTIS CRAB. 



as to render this claw a most efficient in- 

 strument of prehension ; bearing a consider- 

 able resemblance to the fore legs of the or- 

 thopterous genus Mantis: hence the more 

 popular name applied to the species of thn 

 genus. The other foot-jaws, and the three 

 anterior pairs of thoracic members, share 

 in this conformation, and serve to hold the 

 prey against the mouth. The three pos- 

 terior pairs of legs, which are attached to the 

 annulated portion of the thorax, are fur- 

 nished with a brush instead of a hook at their 

 extremities, and more resemble the abdomi- 

 nal swimming-legs. The tail is expanded 

 into a broad fin. Bv the nature of its confor- 

 mation we see that this animal is adapted both 

 for seizing and holding its prey, as well as 

 for swimming, but not at all for walking. 



