. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE FRESH-WATER SHRIMP, OR FRESH-WATER SCREW. 475 Anotlier strangely formed and closely allied crustacean is the Daciylocera nicosensis, whose habits are, however, very imperfectly known, though it is presumed that they resemble those of the hermit-screw and its kin. In this genus, the head, though large, is not of such enormous comparative dimensions as in Phronima, and is rather squared in form. Some of the strange and grasping legs possess great muscular development, and are armed at
. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE FRESH-WATER SHRIMP, OR FRESH-WATER SCREW. 475 Anotlier strangely formed and closely allied crustacean is the Daciylocera nicosensis, whose habits are, however, very imperfectly known, though it is presumed that they resemble those of the hermit-screw and its kin. In this genus, the head, though large, is not of such enormous comparative dimensions as in Phronima, and is rather squared in form. Some of the strange and grasping legs possess great muscular development, and are armed at their extremities with formidable claws, the movable Joint bending over at right angles. A small, but very remarkable crustacean, one of the few which really construct a home for themselves, is the Caddis-shrimp, scientifically called Gerapus tabularis. The close resemblance between this creature and the well-known caddis-worm cannot bat strike an observer. All the animals belonging to this genus inhabit a case which they are able to carry about with them. In spite of the awkwardness of such an appendage, the Caddis-shrimp passes along at a brisk pace, moving by means of the two pairs of long antennje, which not only look like feet, but are used for locomotion. The real feet are kept witiiin the tube, with the exception of the two front j)aii's, which are almost wholly used for catching prey and feeding itseK. Some persons imagine that the tube of this creature is not of home manufacture, but is the deserted residence of some annelid. There is, however, no reason why a crustacean, which is much higher in the scale of creation, should not make as good a tube. The material of which these tubes are made resembles rougli leather or papier-mache, and grayish-brown in color, and very tough. They are very small, in some species being not more than the sixteenth of an inch in length, and proportionately small in diameter. Sometimes the tubes are set so thickly upon the plant as to conc
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
