292 COMMON OBJECTS OF THE SHORE. 



man, just when about to cast its shell, and when 

 the fisher has handled his prey, the animal has, to 

 his surprise, slipped out, and left him holding in 

 his hands the empty case. 



Equally provided with the lobster for swiftness 

 of motion, is the little shrimp, whose cunning- 

 looking eyes seems watching our every movement, 

 as it darts about in the pool. The common shrimp 

 ( Grangon vulgaris) is remarkably active ; and, des- 

 tined to serve as food, and to perform the no less 

 important service of devouring the refuse of the 

 sea, it is very abundant. Paley says of it, "Walk- 

 ing by the sea-side on a calm evening, upon a sandy 

 shore, and with an ebbing tide, I have frequently 

 remarked the appearance of a dark cloud, or rather 

 very thick mist, hanging over the edge of the 

 water, to the height, perhaps, of half-a-yard, 

 stretching along the coast, as far as the eye could 

 reach, and always retiring with the water. When 

 the cloud came to be examined, it proved to be 

 nothing else than so much space filled with young 

 shrimps in the act of bounding into the air, from 

 the shallow margin of the water, or the wet sand." 

 We have here an instance of a mass of numbers 



reminding us of the 

 overwhelming flight of 

 locusts in the east; and 

 every one who has seen 

 them on the sandy 

 shores, must have ob- 

 served how numerous 

 they are there. The 

 larger and more beau- 

 tiful Prawn (Palcemon 

 serratus) is less gene- 



