OBSERVATIONS. 



107 



within the mouth-funnel, down he goes at a gulp. Tho digestive process 

 may be distinctly traced. 



Once I had the gratification of witnessing the birth of a young Ste- 

 phanoceros. The parent certainly could not be congratulated upon its 

 offspring's likeness to itself. The little fellow, after leaving the egg state, 

 assumed an elongated form, tapering towards the tail, and possessing a 

 wreath of cilia at the head in active motion ; but no trace of a crown. It 

 was fixed between the body of the parent and the inner wall of her case ; 

 and fought its way upward until, having reached the top of the case, it got 

 entirely free and swam away. Had it been in the aquarium instead of in 

 my live-box, it would in less than half-an-hour have settled upon the 

 leaf of some plant; and in little more than twenty -four hours it would 

 have assumed the true form of the Stephanoceros. 



There is much in the economy of this creature well worthy of investi- 

 gation. With reference to its supposed rarity I am inclined to think there 

 is too much said. Mr. Gosse mentions the water in front of Kensington 

 Palace, and a pool at Highgate, as the only stations in Britain where it 

 has been found. Eichhorn, he says, found it at Dantzig exactly a century 

 ago, and figured it in 1775. Ehrenberg rediscovered it near Berlin in 

 1831, and afterwards saw it on several occasions. Weisse met with it 

 once at St. Petersburg. I believe, if careful search were made, it would be 

 found much more widely distributed than it is reported to be in this 

 country. 



Notes ok the KiNansHEK. 

 The Kingfisher (Alcedo ispida) is 

 0113 of my especial favourites. Often 

 when out on a fishing excursion I 

 have noticed this beautiful little bird 

 capture its finny prey by quietly 

 perching on some branch over-hang- 

 ing the river, and then waiting, with 

 dogged perseverance, for the moment 

 in which to make its plunge. At 

 length some unsuspecting fish rises 



to take a floating insect, and then, 

 quick as lightning, down descends 

 the glittering bird ; the water is 

 scarcely moved by its plunge ; the 

 next moment it reappears with its 

 victim which it bears to its resting- 

 place, where, striking the head of its 

 prey smartly several times against the 

 branch,endsits struggles and swallows 

 it whole. This bird seems to have no 

 companion but its mate, and they 

 labour with unabated diligence for 

 the support of their young. The 



