Sckntiftc Intelligence. '^Zoology. 201 



it has a sharp weak scream, which it utters on being frightened 

 or irritated. It did not eat of itself until nearly three months 

 after it was found. It has always been very fond of heat, and 

 is extremely sensible to cold, shivering intensely when the tem- 

 perature is low. When the sun shines upon it, it expands all 

 its feathers, especially those of the tail and wings, turning its 

 back to the heat. When eating, it holds the piece of meat 

 about three or four seconds, squeezing it with the points of its 

 mandibles, which is supposed to be an instinctive action, the ob- 

 ject of which is to deprive its prey of life, previous to swallow- 

 ing it.— The late Mr Templeton of Belfast succeeded in keep- 

 ing a cuckoo over winter, but it died in March, when the first 

 moult commenced. 



31. Respiration of tlie Crustacea, "^ MM. Audouin and 

 Milne Edwards, read lately to the French Academy of Sciences 

 a fourth memoir " on the Anatomy and Physiology of the Crus- 

 tacea.'"' The following is the title of their new memoir : De la 

 Respiration aei'ienne des Crustaces, et des modifications que 

 Vappareil branchial Sprouve dans les crabes terrestres. There 

 result from the observations and experiments contained in this 

 memoir, 1. That, in all the Crustacea, the branchiae are fitted to 

 perform the functions of respiratory organs, in the air as well as 

 in water ; 2. That the more or less rapid death of the aquatic 

 species exposed to the air depends upon various causes, of which 

 one of the most direct is the evaporation from the branchiae, 

 which produces their desiccation ; 3. That, consequently, one of 

 the conditions necessary for the support of life in animals, which 

 have branchiae, and live in the air, is the having these organs de- 

 fended against desiccation ; and, lastly, That these indispensable 

 dispositions are actually met with in the tourlouroux and other 

 land crabs, which all possess various organs destined for absorb- 

 ing and keeping in reserve the quantity of water necessary for 

 maintaining a suitable degree of moisture in the branchiae. 



32. Snake-catchers. — The secret of rendering docile, and 

 handling with impunity, the most venomous serpents, which has 

 so long been in the possession of the inhabitants of Western In- 

 dia, is not unknown in China. It is observed that the native 

 snake-catchers here rub their hands, previously to taking hold 

 of the snake, with an antidote composed of pounded herbs. The 

 virtue of the preparation is such, that they hold with the naked 



