110 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



deservedly esteemed as food. The large spiny lobster or 

 crawfish (Palinurus vulgaris) is also edible, but its flavour 

 is generally considered to be less delicate than that of the 

 common lobster, from which it differs structurally in the 

 shape and relative size of the large claws, as well as in 

 certain other less obvious features. Its large size and 

 long, stiff feelers probably account for its infrequent 

 capture in the creels and cages of the lobster and crab 

 fisherman, but specimens occasionally become entangled 

 on long lines and are so brought to the surface. When 

 taken from the water it produces a peculiar grunting 

 sound by rubbing the bases of the long feelers against 

 the hard frontal projection of the carapace, or shield-like 

 shell which covers the fore part of the body. 



Mr. Robert Okell, F.L.S., carefully estimated the 

 number of eggs borne by two female specimens of this 

 animal, and found that one, weighing 3|-lbs., had 137,000, 

 while the other, weighing 51bs., had 180,000. 



There is one little prawn, Hippolyte (or Virbius) 

 cariaiis, which, is found amongst sea-weeds and in pools 

 at Port Erin, and which is of most varied colour according 

 to its surroundings. Specimens living amongst green 

 weeds are bright green in colour, and even the eggs laid 

 by the prawn are green; when amongst brown weeds, as 

 it often is, it is of a dark brown colour, and when in red 

 and variegated weeds it is red, or speckled with various 

 colours. Moreover, individuals can to a considerable 

 extent change their colour when the environment is 

 altered. The first Port Erin Annual Report (1893) 

 contained a short account of this animal, with a plate 

 showing the chief colour variations. Since then Messrs. 

 Gamble and Heebie have made a number of interesting 

 experiments, and have shown that at night the colour of 

 all varieties is a deep blue. 



