124 The Irish Naturalist. [May, 



Some writers speak of the wildness of this duck, and of the 

 difficulty of shooting it ; while others speak of its ducking the 

 flash when fired at. In my experience of the bird, I have 

 never found much difficult}^ in obtaining specimens when 

 required, provided they were alone, and not in the company 

 of Mergansers. My usual plan was to get above the tide, and 

 let the boat or punt drift down quietly on them, then just 

 before coming within shot, the birds, instead of diving, would 

 rise, and fly half round the boat as if wishing to obtain a 

 better view of what had disturbed them before passing down 

 the channel, and, as they flew round, generally within shot, I 

 seldom failed in securing one or two. 



Moyview, Balliua. 



NOTES. 



Sprlngr Flowers and Birds. 



The Blackthorn and Wild Anemone were in flower here on March 

 29th ; the Coltsfoot as early as February 23rd, on which day the Chaffinch 

 sang. The Cuckoo was seen on April nth, the Corncrake heard on the 

 I2th, and the Swallows noticed on the i6th. 



S. A. Bre;nan. 



Knocknacarry, Co. Antrim. 



ZOOLOGY. 



CRUSTACEA. 

 British and Irish Entomostraca. 



In the A^a/. Hist. Trans.^ Northumberland, Durham, and Neivcastle-on-Tyne 

 (vol. xiii., 1898, pp. 217-248, pis. vii.-x.). Prof. G. S. Brady publishes 

 a valuable paper on the British species of Entomostraca belonging to 

 Daphnia and other allied genera. His descriptions and figures will be 

 most useful and should encourage students to take up the study of this 

 interesting but neglected group of tiny crustaceans. Among other 

 correspondents Dr. R. 11. Creighton, of Ballyshannon, has sent specimens 

 to Prof. Brady ; and we notice records of Daphnia galeata, G. D. Sars, from 

 Lough Melvin, and oi Hyalodapknia Kahlhcrgensis (Schoedler) from Lough 

 EJrne. 



