SLEEPING AND WAKING OF PLANTS. 8 



him to his destruction by means of an owl. The largest species, such 

 as the eagle-owl (Bubo maximus, SIBBALD), is always chosen, when it 

 can be procured, for this purpose, the smaller species being less likely 

 to attract the attention of large birds. The owl is chained by the legs 

 to a post in some conspicuous place, so as to be seen at a distance, 

 and a hut of boughs is erected within gun-shot, to conceal the sports- 

 man while he lies in wait for the arrival of his game. 



The thrushes, jays, and magpies, in such cases, are usually the first to 

 descry the owl, and give intimation of his presence to the ravens and 

 hawks ; the eagles, if there be any in the district, being in most in- 

 stances the last to arrive. But when they do come, they are no less 

 eager than the smaller birds, to swoop down from the air to gaze at 

 the strange bird, and to threaten him with voice and wing, for intruding 

 himself into daylight. Then is the moment for the sportsman, who is 

 keenly watching the whole proceedings from his concealment, to level 

 his piece, loaded of course with ball, and to bring down the bird of 

 Jove, from what Shakspeare so happily terms " his pride of place." 



Were eagles more numerous in this country than they are ever 

 likely to be, this would form an interesting variety in sporting, for those 

 who delight in the exercise a delight which originates first from the 

 necessary suspense of uncertainty, and is precisely similar to that 

 which induces a young lady to devour the pages of a romance ; and 

 secondly, from human sympathy with animal suffering, and is precisely 

 similar to that which makes boys torment flies, which makes people 

 flock to a bear-beating or an execution, which fills the theatres when a 

 tragedy is to be performed, and which, in a word, is the common and 

 immediate origin of much that is very good, and much that is very bad 

 in human nature. 



Lee, Kent, 6th Dec. 1832. 



EXPERIMENTS ON THE SLEEPING AND WAKING OF PLANTS. 



BY M. DUTROCHET, MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE, PARIS* 



THE very remarkable influence produced upon the sleeping and 

 waking of plants, by the atmospheric air contained in their air-organs 

 (organes aeriferei), has been demonstrated to me by a great number 



* Translated from the French, by Miss H. G. Lee, Kent. 

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