16 MARCH 1951, Page 18

Crayfish or Prawn?

EiR,—With reference to Mr. Smallwood's query. Langouste is the French popular name for Pa!haunts rulgaris (Fabricius. 1798), the " spiny lubsier " or "sea crayfish," while ecrevisse is Potantobilis pallipes (Lerebouillet, 1868) or P. Forremium (Schrank, 1823), the crayfish, which is a freshwater relative of the lobster. Pahl:urns. though called "spiny lobster" is not so closely related to the lobster as the crayfish is. Our name crayfish is formed from e°e•rerisse. " the creature which lives in the crevices (of rocks)" by popular etymology. Langouste, like our word "lobster," is itself derived from the Latin locusta.

If there be any - crayfish " in Kenya rivers, they will most probably not belong to the genus Porantobius.—Believe me, yours faithfully, T. O. H.