CHAPTER XII 

 SHRIMPS, CRABS, AND BARNACLES 



WE have no word in English to indicate the varied 

 crab-and-shrimp-like creatures of salt and fresh 

 waters in the same way as " insect " designates the six- 

 legged, usually winged, terrestrial creatures of many 

 kinds — bettles, bees, bugs, two-winged flies, dragon- 

 flies, day-flies, and butterflies. They are all "insects." 

 Naturalists call the aquatic shrimp-and-crab creatures 

 " crustaceans." Perhaps " crab " might be used in a 

 large sense to include them all, together with the true 

 crabs, as the Germans use their word, " krebs." The 

 shore-crab is the most familiar of all crustaceans, in the 

 living, moving condition. Boiled lobsters, prawns, and 

 shrimps are more generally familiar members of the 

 class, but the " undressed " living crab is better known 

 to every one who has been on the seashore than the live 

 lobster, prawn, and shrimp. Londoners have been heard 

 to express interest in the curious blue variety of lobster 

 caught on the coast, not being aware that the hot bath 

 which he takes before he, too, is " dressed," causes his 

 blue armour to change its colour to a brilliant scarlet. 

 Occasionally a regular ordinary lobster is caught in 

 which this change has occurred during life in the sea — 

 and there are some enormous deep-sea prawns of a 

 pound in weight which when living have a splendid 

 crimson colour. A large series of" crustaceans," carefully 



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