season, the males have a black, and the
females a milky substance in the gill. From some lines of
Oppian, it would appear that the ancients were ignorant that the
oyster is generally found adhering to rocks. The starfish is one
of the most deadly enemies of these bivalves. The poet says:--

The prickly star creeps on with full deceit
To force the oyster from his close retreat.
When gaping lids their widen'd void display,
The watchful star thrusts in a pointed ray,
Of all its treasures spoils the rifled case,
And empty shells the sandy hillock grace.

PRAWN SOUP.

198. INGREDIENTS.--2 quarts of fish stock or water, 2 pints of prawns,
the crumbs of a French roll, anchovy sauce or mushroom ketchup to taste,
1 blade of mace, 1 pint of vinegar, a little lemon-juice.

_Mode_.--Pick out the tails of the prawns, put the bodies in a stewpan
with 1 blade of mace, 1/2 pint of vinegar, and the same quantity of
water; stew them for 1/4 hour, and strain off the liquor. Put the fish
stock or water into a stewpan; add the strained liquor, pound the prawns
with the crumb of a roll moistened with a little of the soup, rub them
through a tammy, and mix them by degrees with the soup; add ketchup or
anchovy sauce to taste, with a little lemon-juice. When it is well
cooked, put in a few picked prawns; let them get thoroughly hot, and
serve. If not thick enough, put in a little butter and flour.

_Time_.--hour. _Average cost_, 1s. 1d. per quart, if made with water.

_Seasonable_ at any time. _Sufficient_ for 8 persons.

_Note_.--This can be thickened with tomatoes, and vermicelli served in
it, which makes it a very tasteful soup.

[Illustration: THE PRAWN.]

THE PRAWN.--This little fish bears a striking resemblance to the
shrimp, but is neither so common nor so small. It is to be found
on most of the sandy shores of Europe. The Isle of Wight is
famous for shrimps, where they are potted; but both the prawns
and the shrimps vended in London, are too much salted for the
excellence of their natural flavour to be preserved. They are
extremely lively little animals, as seen in their native
retreats.

[Illustration]

FISH.

CHAPTER VII.

THE NATURAL HISTORY OF FISHES.

199. IN NATURAL HISTORY, FISHES form the fourth class in the system of
Linnaeus, and are described as having long under-jaws, eggs without
white, organs of sense, fins f