314 SUPPLEMENT 



great quantity of them during their Lent, and other days of 

 abstinence ; but these species, for the most part, belong to 

 the genus Pen(Bus. 



The flesh of these cnistacea is tender, sweet, agreeable, and 

 regarded as a nutritive aliment, and easy of digestion. The 

 use of it is recommended to persons attacked with marasmus, 

 or threatened with pulmonary consumption. A great quantity 

 of them is caught in the mouths of the Seine, the Loire, and 

 the Garonne. " The mode in which they are cooked there," 

 says M. Bosc, " is by putting them on the fire, with salt and 

 vinegar." Every part of them may be eaten, in consequence 

 of the thinness of the testa. The flesh of these animals connipts 

 very speedily after their death, which takes place almost on 

 their issuing from the water, and the odour which they then 

 exhale, is, like that of other Crustacea in the same state, 

 of the most insupportable kind. They must, therefore, be 

 cooked immediately, to preserve them for some days. The 

 females, when they are charged with eggs, which takes place 

 in spring, are more esteemed and more delicate. These Crus- 

 tacea are also employed in line-fishing, and in some places, 

 as in the United States, according to M. Bosc, this is the only 

 use which is made of them. 



Several fish are extremely fond of them, and devour a pro- 

 digious quantity. Accordingly they repair in great numbers 

 to the coasts, and the mouths of rivers, a little time after the 

 arrival of the prawns, and afterwards disappear with them, on 

 the return of fine weather. 



Nature compensates for the destruction of these Crustacea, 

 by a prodigious fecundity. The females lay thousands of 

 eggs, and the sjDCcies is preserved. These little animals, be- 

 sides, swim with so much celerity, that many of them escape 

 from the pursuit of their enemies. They usually proceed 

 forward, and swim by means of the false fin-like feet which 

 they have under the tail ; but in danger they accelerate their 



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