6684 



Crustacea. 



rapid passage up, in full cry, probably after some fast -swimming 

 prey ; the prawns hunting near the bottom, the opossum-shrimps 

 near the surface. Mr. Couch tells us (Zool. 5616) that the nipper- 

 crab in his tank gave chase to a fish that was put in with it, 

 soon seized it with both its claws, and killed it ; it devoured the 

 belly and lower part of the head, and, being satisfied, rejected the 

 remainder. The same crab took a fly that chanced to alight on the 

 water. How astonished a sportsman would have been if his artificial 

 caricature had been so taken ! He would be catching crabs with 

 a truth. 



Here we have, upon the testimony of Mr. Warington, evidence of 

 the possession of smell exhibited in the shrimp. Smell it could only 

 be ; for the piece of meat passed to the bottom unnoticed and un- 

 attended to by the hungry animal on the watch for food, until the 

 long antennae sw T ept the track through which it fell ; it then immedi- 

 ately began to hunt, and hunted until it found it. There can be no 

 doubt, 1 think, that consciousness of the presence of food was obtained 

 through the long antennae, and this by the scent left from the food in 

 its passage through the water. This organ is always present in 

 Crustacea, both in terrestrial and aquatic species ; it consists of a 

 peduncle or base, and flagellum ; the latter, in land species, generally 

 have the joints fused together. 



There is but one sense more belonging to animals ; and there is no 

 reason to suppose that taste is less likely to be present in those of a 

 low type than when the general organization is more complete. The 

 chief object of taste is to recognise between the food which nourishes 

 and that which is injurious. Even in the pampered appetite of 

 civilized man the meal that is enjoyed is more generally nutritious 

 than that which is not agreeable to the taste. The Crustacea seek 

 their own food, and choose that which they prefer. The crabs, or 

 short-tailed Crustacea, devour only fresh, wholesome animal diet, 

 and prefer living animals that they can overpower to that of other 

 food ; this they carry sometimes even to cannibalism, eating others 

 of their own or nearly-allied species, but only when hunger is 

 very sharp. The lobsters, or long-tailed Crustacea, feed generally, it 

 is said, upon carrion, and, as far as 1 am aware, are free from the 

 charge of cannibalism. The shrimp and its near allies feed voraciously 

 on animal refuse, and are as active as ants in clearing the bones of a 

 drowned puppy or cat. It is for the latter supply of food probably 

 that they frequent the shallow waters and muddy banks of estuaries, 

 and the shore-line of sandy inlets. The sessile-eyed Crustacea are 



