Barnacle goose were of the same nature as other birds. The question of the nature of barnacle geese also came up as a matter of Jewish dietary law in the Halakha, and Rabbeinu Tam (1100–71) determined that they were kosher (even if born of trees) and should be slaughtered following the normal prescriptions for birds. The mythical barnacle tree, believed in the Middle Ages to have barnacles that opened to reveal geese, may have a similar origin to the other legends already mentioned. Barnacle goose The barnacle goose ("Branta leucopsis") belongs to the genus "Branta" of black geese, which contains species with
Polyphemus (crustacean) pairs of legs with exopodites, or outer branches. The legs are adapted for catching mobile prey, generally smaller species of water flea such as young "Daphnia" and "Bosmina". "Polyphemus" has two compound eyes that are fused to form a single unit, with a zoned set of receptors. This zoned structure is paired with an eye-control system that allows the "Polyphemus" to visually distinguish target size to avoid predators and track prey. "P. pediculus" is approximately in length. "P. exiguus", while similar in morphology, is smaller. Polyphemus (crustacean) Polyphemus is a genus of water fleas, and the only genus in the