370 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



the prawn, are slender and most delicate in their 

 structure, and, when examined with a magnifying- 

 glass, are found to be provided at their extremities 

 with a brush-like appendage of short hairs standing 

 out at right angles to the claw. The power of motion 

 with which these legs are endued is really wonderful, 

 and their usefulness is applied in every conceivable 

 direction around the eyes, and among the appa- 

 rently complicated apparatus of mandibles, antennae 

 and palpi, at the head, within or beneath the carapace, 

 and for some distance between it and the body, par- 

 ticularly when the period for moulting is approaching ; 

 they are employed also for the cleansing of the abdo- 

 minal false-feet or swimming-webs, and the expanded 

 lobes of the tail ; and the appearance of the prawn 

 during the execution of this brushing or scrubbing 

 process is grotesque in the extreme : the body is sup- 

 ported and raised high on the four pairs of legs, the 

 abdominal part and tail being curved forward between 

 them, so that the whole posterior division of the ani- 

 mal can be brought within the reach of the first pair 

 of feet, and thus the necessary cleansing operation be 

 readily effected. 



When in full swimming action, the appearance of 

 these beautifully transparent crustaceans is most ele- 

 gant. The front feet are generally laid backward, 

 and tucked under the body, like the fore-legs of the 

 deer-tribe in the act of leaping. The long and deli- 

 cate antennae stream gracefully on each side of its 

 body, and float for some distance beyond its entire 

 length ; while its strong abdominal paddles propel it 

 rapidly through the water. In the aquarium under 



