FOOD FROM THE CRUSTACEANS AND MOLLUSCA. 391 



I 



heats the poker and stirs up the water in which the 

 shrimps are placed, in order that the temperature of the 

 water shall be kept up to the boiling point while the 

 shrimps are being cooked. Shrimps are in season during 

 the whole year, though the chief demand is in spring. 

 A preparation of potted shrimps is sold. 



In North America shrimps are pickled and spiced. 

 By the Chinese in California they are sold plain, peeled, 

 and also strung on matting. The meat after being dried 

 is pulverised and put through a fanning mill. Shrimps 

 of a very large size, crabs, and other Crustacea are abun- 

 dant on the coasts of Peru. 



A species of Palmmon is brought dried in sacks from 

 the Pacific coast to Mexico to be eaten in Lent. They 

 are pounded, and the powder is mixed with rice and 

 chillies to flavour the little cakes or croquettes, which 

 are fried in oil. The flavour is something like old dried 

 codfish. 



The large dried prawns (" Camarones ") of Brazil, so 

 delicious when eaten fresh, may please the lovers of 

 highly-spiced food. The fish of the Amazon, salted, 

 dried, and reduced to powder, may be useful to those 

 who voyage on that river, and the numerous Indians 

 who coast it, but would not sufiice for the basis of 

 nourishment of the Europeans or North Americans. 



Enormous quantities of shrimps are obtained on the 

 coasts of Belgium and Holland; in the latter country 

 they were formerly used to manure land. They are often 

 salted to be sent to tropical countries. In 1867 there 

 were exported from Holland to Epgland 350,000 kilos., 

 and to Belgium 104,000 kilos. ; in 1882 we received 

 1,178,000 kilos, from Holland. There are now 2,000 to 

 3,000 men employed in Holland and Belgium catching 

 shrimps. 



Shrimps are now three times as valuable as they were, 

 they sell at 3d. to 6d. a quart. 



The Boston fishermen believe there are three kinds of 

 shrimps, the sea shrimps (Pandanus annulicornis), which 

 come in June; the land shrimps {Crangon vulgaris'), which 



