98 APRIL. 



But while we are gazing at the beauty of our little 

 Venus, we become cognizant of the presence of another 

 spectator. He has slowly come out from beneath the 

 shadow of that long dark-brown leaf of Laminaria, that 

 floats like a crumpled ribbon across the pool, and now 

 rests on the tuft of Iridcea, that fine scarlet weed of 

 leathery texture, that grows in the shaded corner. It is 

 a Prawn j 1 and a fellow of noble dimensions. Is he too 

 attracted by the fair shell ? or rather is not his atten- 

 tion occupied by us ? Yes ; the latter is the true case ; 

 as you may discern by his long-stalked eyes, steadily 

 staring upwards. He wonders what our two faces can 

 mean ; and, as we remain still, he ventures forth to 

 take a fuller view. 



An elegant creature is the common prawn, or rock- 

 shrimp, as the fishermen designate him, by way of dis- 

 tinction from another sapid crustacean that inhabits 

 these shores. His armour of proof, composed of plates 

 that slide so smoothly one under another, sustains the 

 most lustrous polish, and is ever subject to the animal's 

 efforts to keep it so ; for, whenever he has a moment's 

 leisure from more pressing avocations, he is constantly 

 engaged in cleaning it with the brushes which those 

 slender fore-limbs of his carry. Like a true soldier, like 



1 Palcemon serratus, represented in the upper figure in Plate xi., resting, 

 as described, on a leaf of Jridcea edulis. 



