368 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



of the scavengering mollusks were fulfilled by Litto- 

 rina, Trochus, and Purpura a few individuals of 

 the common Prawn (Palaemon serratus) were intro- 

 duced during the months of October and November. 

 They were fed every second or third day with small 

 pieces of either oyster, mussel, cockle, shrimp, and 

 the like ; or, when these could not be obtained, with 

 softened shreds of raw, lean meat, which had been 

 previously dried by exposure to the air, in order to 

 preserve it from putrefaction, and allow of its being 

 kept as a store of provision, capable of being had 

 recourse to as occasion might require. 



The manner in which these beautiful creatures take 

 their food, while foraging about the tank, is very in- 

 teresting. The first and second pairs of forceps-like 

 feet are cautiously and continuously thrust into every 

 cranny, as well as around and partially under the 

 pebbles and rockwork, and often into the tubes of 

 Serpulse and Sabellse, or the shells of the univalve 

 mollusks ; and these, if not protected by an operculum, 

 or some provision for closing the orifice of their tube 

 or shell, soon fall a prey to their attacks. When any- 

 thing edible is met with, it is rapidly seized by these 

 prehensile feet and transferred to the jaws. 



The senses of touch and smell in the Pal&monida 

 are exceedingly delicate, the latter appearing to reside 

 most strongly in the antennae. Thus, when a small 

 particle of food has been dropped into the water and 

 has sunk to the bottom, the moment the antennae of 

 the prawn in its movements pass across the column 

 of water through which the food has fallen, the 

 whole motion of the creature becomes changed in an 



