THE SAVAGE WORLD. 
43 
The Sand Flea is a curious little creature found at times in great num¬ 
bers along American beaches, looking very much like a shrimp, though hardly 
so large. In size it ranges from one-half to one inch in length, and is covered 
with a white, semi-transparent, leathery carapax. It progresses by hopping, and 
can attain considerable speed. When apprehended it curls up and simulates 
death, but is off again very soon after being released. 
The Fairy Shrimp. This little animal is the connecting link between 
the water lice and shrimps, having characteristics common to both, especially 
in resemblance. He is so called because of his extremely attenuate and trans¬ 
parent body, render¬ 
ing him invisible 
save to the critical 
eye. His length is 
about one inch, and 
the creature is made 
for progression by 
swimming on the 
back, using the tail 
like a crawfish, so 
that he can dart 
through the water 
at great speed. 
There are several 
species that are very 
closely allied to the 
fairy shrimp, nearly 
all of which are pe¬ 
culiar to European 
shores. 
Mantis Shrimp 
(Squilla Mantis ) is 
a name given to a 
species^, found only 
in the Ihdian Ocean, 
I believe, being 
most plentiful about 
the shores of Mauri¬ 
tius. It is some 
three inches in dredging for sea shrimp. 
length, and is cov¬ 
ered with a shell like our common crawfish, though the body is very much 
longer comparatively. A specimen was caught by Dr. Eukis, who observed, its 
habits in an aquarium, and reports his experience as follows : “It sported 
about, and after a first approach exhibited a boldness rather unexpected. When 
first alarmed it sprang backwards with great velocity, after which it assumed a 
menacing attitude, which would rather have excited the fear of exposing the 
hand to it. The prominent appearance of the eyes, their brilliancy and atten¬ 
tive watching, the feeling power of the long antennae, evinced quick apprehen¬ 
sion and instinct. I brought a silver teaspoon near it, which it struck out of 
