Mr. Baird on British Entomostraca. 245 



service for themselves. The heads of plaice (Platessa vulgaris) 

 several times offered them were refused, and being forced 

 down their throats were instantly ejected. Castings of the 

 indigestible portions of their food are regularly thrown up. 

 Although the female is very partial to washing, the male has 

 never been known to wash himself. Their usual cry is a long- 

 drawn scream, but frequently they keep a low purring noise 

 like a cat, and the male bird, when chased to his annoyance, 

 utters a sound like coo-coo-coo (described by Dr. Neill as 

 a cuckoo."). 



The third individual, a female, is very different from the 

 others, in being somewhat playful and quite familiar even 

 with strangers. Live rats turned out to her have been inva- 

 riably captured within a very short time. In the few instances 

 where I have seen dead prey seized, the four claws were 

 used*. Standing about a pace distant from this bird on one 

 occasion when she was at liberty, and during bright sunshine, 

 it was interesting to observe the contraction of the pupil of 

 the eye, which was particularly conspicuous from contrast 

 with the immense golden irides. When attracted by larks 

 which were singing at a great elevation and distance, the pupil, 

 from the ordinary size, adapted to near objects, instantly dimi- 

 nished to its minimum or half the ordinary diameter ; and 

 again when the sight was directed to birds at less distance, 

 its diminution varied accordingly. The other two owls are 

 not in the least affected by bright sunshine ; and from their 

 observing birds passing at a great height in the air, or as ex- 

 pressed to me * almost in the clouds," they are considered to 

 see as far as a golden eagle, their companion in captivity. 



XXVI. — The Natural History of the British Entomostraca, 

 No. V. By William Baird, Surgeon, H.C.S., &c. 



[With a Plate.] 

 (Continued from Mag. Zool. and Bot. vol. ii. p. 412.) 



Daphnia. 

 Anatomy. — The body of the insect is composed of two parts 

 very distinct from each other ; the one much smaller than the 

 * Sec observation to the contrary in the last-cited work, p. 310, 



