TO CORRESPONDENTS. E. R. M.-As you are a lady, we shall not presume, nor do we wish, to contradict you; your "reasonable" favor shall appear next week. Again, no address! still we thank you. " "BOMBYX ATLAS."- Will you oblige us with your name and address? When these are withholden, we feel "quite at sea." We want to write to you, but can't! F. M.-Our space is so circumscribed, that "Fugitive Poetry can only be admissible under very peculiar circumstances. We are already overwhelmed with similar "kind offerings." This "reply" will suffice for all the writers. Their favors have merit, and would be readily available in a Monthly Magazine. NEW SUBSCRIBERS, and CASUAL READERS, are referred to the LEADING ARTICLE in our FIRST NUMBER for the DETAILED OBJECTS of the LONDON JOURNAL: to these we shall rigidly adhere. PRIVATE LETTERS.-Of these we daily receive such immense quantities, that we must really beg the writers to excuse our not replying to them. Our time is more profitably occupied. All vacancies, as they are called, are filled up. Let this general answer suffice. CORRESPONDENTS sending in any "facts" connected with Science or Natural History, are requested in every case to append their names and places of abode. In no instance, however, will their names be published without their express sanction. NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS AND OTHERS.-It having been deemed expedient, to meet the views of the Trade, that this Journal should always be published by anticipation, CONTRIBUTORS AND OTHERS will be so kind as to bear in mind that they must give us an extra "week's grace," and wait patiently till their favors appear. All persons who may send in MSS., but which may not be " accepted," are requested to preserve copies of them, as the Editor cannot hold himself responsible for their return. To obtain this Paper without any difficulty, our readers need only ORDER it to be sent to them by any of their local Booksellers or Newsvendors. It is published simultaneously with all the other weekly periodicals. KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. Saturday, February 28, 1852. JUST in proportion as our Paper is winning its way into the fairest repute, as witness the vast number of Communications received from all parts daily,-are the Booksellers doing everything in their power to keep it from rising! The same difficulty of obtaining it, still exists. The same apathy and indifference continue everywhere observable; and no helping hand can we seek that is able to pull us through the difficulty, although our private friends strive mightily in our cause. The Booksellers will not keep an extra copy on hand. Let us merely cite one single instance, which will tell more of a Bookseller's supinethan anything else. A gentleman writes us from MANCHESTER, a few days since, as follows: ness Sir, The Liverpudlians, whom you have so justly tomahawked, are by no means "alone in their glory" with respect to the " burke"-ing of your JOURNAL. I have contrived to get Nos. 3 and 4; they came together! and finally, No. 5, last Monday!!! My bookseller thought, before it came, it must have been discontinued,-a horrid “doubt" for us your admirers. I declare it nearly froze my heart's blood. This is one of a multitude of Letters, all on one and the same subject. We feel justified in speaking thus plainly, in order that our friends may see how we are situated. There is a large demand; but although our terms are MOST liberal, there is, compared with what there should be, a very small sale-arising solely from the cause above assigned. We have made one more effort, as will be seen by reference to the last column of the present JOURNAL. If this fail, we have done all WE can do under such unfairly-depressing circumstances-and " May Heaven defend the right !” "Every man has a right to do what he likes with his own; "" said the late worthy Duke of Newcastle. Who will gainsay it? Acting on the principle, we have made this JOURNAL more our own than ever it was. By referring to the First Page of the present Number, it will be seen that our "vexed question " patronymic is a longer. It is now KIDD'S " OWN" Journal; and there exists a joint partnership between IT and THE PUBLIC. ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. 66 no Sagacity of a Jackdaw. "Our Jackdaw" has taken it into his head, that he would like to see his name in print; at least so I fancied when I saw him ogling with an envious eye something at page 87 of your JOURNAL, concerning A Raven." Perhaps I might first have thought I should like to see his name in print-and he read my thoughts? Be that as it may (though I believe I am right in my belief), I am perfectly convinced that it will in the end amount to the same thing. When our eyes first met, it was at a grocer's shop, in "Our Street." "Jack" took my fancy and I took his. After passing him several times on my way to town, said than done. When removing him from his I at last determined to possess him. No sooner old master, I received his assurance that "Jack" called "Shop," which latter assertion I regard as a fiction, never having heard him ejaculate that word. From the very first moment of his installation in his new home, he evinced a most startling affection for the juicy legs of a member of the family,-viz. those of my little sister. This particular member he assails to the present day; at the same time taking care to keep at a respectful distance, and looking just for all the world as if such a propensity had never entered his imagination, for I believe he has imagination. If you should ever chance to be in his company, pray discard the use of slippers; for should he descry even the smallest possible piece of stocking, he will attack that point, knowing it to be the tender one; a thing which he would never attempt if you had on boots. Well does his eye know the difference between cotton and leather! He is extremely affectionate, as will be seen from the following circumstance. Find ing the free use of his wings, which, after moulting, I omitted to clip,-he one evening took an airing, and flew over the house. Whither he went, is best known to himself! Having vainly searched for him for three days, I ultimately discovered that he had been in the hands of several persons. An omnibus conductor distinctly saw him assailed by numerous cats: indeed he had been seen by everybody; but where he was at that precise moment nobody knew. At last, I discovered his place of retreat. He was in a tree! he saw me from his perch, before I saw him, and immediately descended; still he seemed undecided whether to fly away again, or deliver himself up. This last he ultimately did;-clearly demonstrating the preponderance of his affection for me over love of liberty. A more miserable object than he, I never beheld. He had, whether by a North American Indian of his tribe has not distinctly appeared—been divested of his scalp; and altogether he presented a most wretched appearance: yet was he penitent, withal; exhibiting a "never-do-it-again" cast of countenance, which could not be mistaken. He was, of course, very pleased to see me, and acknowledged my presence with his usual "Hallo!" I have as yet eulogised his good qualities; I must now point out his failings. Of these, "the sulks" or "doldrums," I am sorry to say, form a very prominent feature. Coming in rather too late to his breakfast the other morning (for he generally takes that meal with us), he discovered, after going the round of the table, first upsetting everything in his way and then elongating himself to a fearful height to look into the large milk jug-that there was no egg in either of the shells which he had been scrutinising! Now being very fond of egg, he took this very much to heart, and actually sulked the whole day through, pecking everybody that came in his way. The other day, being "free and easy," he took a sip from every glass on the table, and you may readily infer that, there being a great many, he soon found himself off the table, and as the phrase goes, not only "drunk," but utterly "incapable." This was the signal for his being immediately removed and locked up for the night, as all "drunkards" should be. He slept feverishly, but a recourse to his usual habit of "ducking in the morning, acted as a "refresher." He has strange notions that my rabbits like nails; and he is therefore continually stuffing a few into the oats, and watching the effect. Whilst the persevering animals are endeavoring to masticate them, "Jack" gives them sundry pecks on the nose; and then walks away as if he knew nothing at all about it, and as if "rabbits" were quite beneath his notice. This hauteur he extends to sparrows, when desirous of catching one, in doing which I have never seen him succeed. If a flight of pigeons should happen to cross the garden, he will break the drum of everybody's ears with screaming, and scarify his own throat into the bargain. He once caught a mouse, the eating of which seemed to entirely change his nature, rendering him exceedingly savage. I must not omit to mention, that he is in the habit of coming into my bedroom while I am washing. He will then "duck" himself in the very water I use myself. Again, he will amuse.himself for hours with the sound of his own voice-"giving quotations," whether from my brothers, or Shakspeare, I have not yet discovered. But, Mr. Editor, if I were to delineate every trick of this interesting little creature (who helps to shell the peas in summer, and to pick the plums in winter), I should have a long task. Indeed he is the most affectionate, amusing, extraordinary, and never to-be-forgotten animal, with whom I have ever had the pleasure of being acquainted; and if the readers of your JOURNAL will believe these statements, as sincerely as I know them to be true,-it is all that I desire.G. S. Instinct in the Canary.—I find a very curious anecdote in the Fifeshire Journal about a Canary. Can you credit the circumstances as related? I confess I cannot. It savors too much of the marvellous I think for you:—“A favorite pet canary, belonging to one of the servants in Blair Adam House, being frightened by a person going near its cage, made its escape from it, and after making a few revolutions of the room, darted out at the window, which chanced to be open at the time, and in a moment was out of sight, taking its flight over the top of the house, and of course never was expected to be seen again. In this its owner was agreeably mistaken; for on the following morning, having been away a day and a night, the pet finding the change not for the better, made its appearance at the window out of which it had escaped, and was fruitlessly endeavoring to gain admission, when it was caught and safely consigned again to its wiry prisonhouse. This is no sooner found out than it began to pour out notes of thankfulness, we shall suppose, for its return again to its happy home. What renders the circumstance more striking is, that it was exposed during one of the frosty nights we had lately; and, as the canary is a delicate bird, it is surprising how it could have survived it." [If the above statement be true, we can only say the "facts" are singular. Of ALL birds, the canary is most out of its element when at liberty; and its return to where it flew from, would argue an “instinct” of which we never yet found this bird possessed. A Linnet or a Goldfinch would have shown such an instinct; but we confess there is a "doubt" about this canary.] Diseases of Canaries and their Cure.-A Correspondent, A. P., in No. 4 of your "LONDON JOURNAL," mentions that his and his neighbor's bird had a complaint, well known by almost all who keep them-viz. hard breathing, &c. Having had canaries for some years, I have remarked as an almost invariable rule, that this (in the way your Correspondent mentions) is almost entirely confined to hens. I have very seldom known young birds, or cocks, to be so afflicted. Should they be, it is either to be traced to negligence in not keeping them clean, or to their having bad seed, water, or stale green food. But in hens, it is entirely different, and seems to assume a chronic form. After they are two or three years old, I have found that although kept in the same cage with cocks, and treated to precisely the same food and attention, they have become wheezy and ill; whilst the cocks have retained their good health. Constipation is the chief cause of this, brought on, very often, by the bad judg ment of the breeder. Many (particularly persons in the bird trade) over-task their poor birds, begin ning perhaps in February and ending in September. They are never content unless a hen has 4, 5, or 6 nests; in fact ruining their bird's constitution, and rendering many of her young that year, poor and weak. Then what follows? The hen's health is undermined; and as the cold weather comes on, disease shows itself in the form of constipation, wheezing, &c. which, if they do not kill, make it quite distressing to keep them. I know a man who had no fewer than 6 nests and 21 birds from one pair; but then he was a dealer, and cared not what became of the hen. Next year he mended her up for the time being, sold her, and let some poor unlucky buyer try his skill in curing the disease which he had sown! In my experience, I have found the remedies mentioned by you, greatly relieve all sufferers, particularly boiled milk, and bread and milk (without moist sugar, which many parties are in the habit of using.) Warmth, I may say, is the main thing; and in the freshness of spring, some hens will rally up and breed pretty well; but they are mostly troubled with an habitual constipation. I may here state, that I hope each "Fancier" who is skilled in the different subjects that appear; will contribute his stock of knowledge to the public fund; and hearing that you intend bringing out, in your paper, your original popular treatises on "British Song Birds," I trust as chapter after chapter come out, they will cause such a discussion on what each has ex perienced, among "Professors," as will at once render "KIDD'S JOURNAL" interesting, instructive and indispensable to the Lovers and Keepers of Pets and Cage Birds.-E. C., Liverpool. An Ailing Goldfinch.-My pet Goldfinch has been suffering severely from illness, which has caused his plumage to suffer much damage. How shall I act, to restore its beauty? I have also a number of Canaries, from which I purpose breeding. Please, also, to give me all needful instructions about this.-E. T. H. [As your Goldfinch gains strength, let him occasionally fly about your room, first placing a wire-guard before the stove to prevent his destruction by fire. Give him some watercress, also a hemp-seed or two, and let him bask in the sun as much as possible. We shall have "lots" to say about breeding canaries, by and by. All yet is in good time.] For a whole week the young birds were proceeding admirably, when a brute of a cat [it seems all tell "one tale" about this ill-fed, half-starved, "wandering minstrel "] took the whole nest at once! I cannot help thinking that this would be the most efficacious mode of rearing nightingales with the least trouble.-J. B. [You are quite right about the Robin; of all af"this is fectionate, domestic, loveable "dears THE one above the rest. It will feed, even in confinement, the young of any birds, as we have experienced often to our infinite delight. We shall record all this in due season.] Cats regarded as "Vermin."-The public are indeed largely indebted to you, Mr. Editor, for so kindly coming forward to deliver them from the army of mischievous cats, who nightly commit such havoc upon our gardens, our pantries, and, in the season, upon our chickens and other live stock. Surely, if these animals were better fed, and better attended to, they would never stray as they do to such long distances. No person would wantonly destroy any of them, but, in self-preservation, they must in some way be got rid of; and your remedy is a very simple one, as it is unattended by pain or suffering. I have already disposed of nine, and my pigeons are all the happier for it.-Yours obliged, I. P., Tottenham. [The above is one of so very many communications received on a similar subject, that we really are pleased to have been "useful" in this matter. Our well-known disposition, and love of animals, quite shelter us from the charge of cruelty as regards Cats. We only wish we could visit the offences of these poor creatures upon those who are the cause of their offending, and consequent punishment. The fact is patent, that on an average every house contains three cats. What, let us ask, can be the use of these? and what is the consequence of it? The presence of one single cat will suffice to keep all mice at bay; the excess of cats, therefore, is useless, and a public nuisance. That cats are, for the most part, half-starved, is too well known to be contradicted; a "dab" of cat's meat, transfixed on a long skewer, and the value of one half-penny, generally sufficing for the whole lot! This is, we are told, "to make them sharp, and cause them to get their own livelihood." Exactly so, and this is why these poor animals stray so far into their neighbors' grounds to steal what they can in the way of cold meat, chickens, rabbits, &c. We have, ere now, had the "morbid satisfaction" of seeing a large cat disappear over our own lofty wall -made lofty by us on purpose to shut these vermin Nightingales and Robins.-My old Nightin-out-with a valuable live chicken in her mouth; gales, strange to say, are not yet in song. I and this act has been repeated, by the same cat, really do think a good frost, at this season, would five times in a single fortnight! We sent in to bring them out-especially as the sun now shines the neighbor who owned the cat, and very cibrightly. The habits of these birds much re- villy requested it might be kept at home, or we semble those of the robin, and he, we know, al- should be under the necessity of shooting it. The -!" We ways sings best and loudest in frosty weather. reply was-"Blaze away, and In connection with this, I will mention what to suppress the finale. We did not "blaze away; 66 remove the cat. you may be an interesting circumstance. About but we were compelled to three years ago, a boy brought to my servant We feel quite sure that if cats were properly fed some nightingales' eggs. There being the nest and attended to, like other animals, they would of a robin in the garden, I immediately changed not stray away; neither should we be obliged to the eggs: on the very day after, they hatched! lie awake all night to listen to their nocturnal music (!). While on this subject, let us also call attention to the inhumanity of those who keep dogs. The same "vulgar error" prevails, that these poor creatures should only be fed once a day, and then, how sparingly! What is the consequence? The pangs of hunger seize them; they bark furiously all day, and howl throughout the entire night. Such barbarities as these are monstrous. WE are doomed to listen to these sounds, every night of our lives! We shall immediately commence an article on "Cruelty to Animals," and see if we cannot shame people out of such evil, such diabolical practices. Then will our "OWN" JOURNAL not have been brought forward in vain. We have said before, and we again repeat it, it is positively sinful for any person to keep dumb animals, without attending to all their wants and necessities. We see, daily, so very much cruelty of this kind practised, that our pen refuses to lie quiet under it, and we have no wish to coerce it.] Breeding of Canaries.-Having a lot of very valuable canaries, among which are the Jonques, and not thoroughly understanding their proper management, I kindly ask your assistance in instructing me in the art of breeding, rearing, and keeping in health these beautiful little creatures, as they are so much more delicate than the common sort. What month do you advise me to put them together? and how shall I feed them? Mine are the only Jonque canaries I have ever seen in our part of the country, and therefore the breeding of them is quite a mystery.A. R. P. [We shall pen an article on this subject, very shortly. There is yet plenty of time.] A Terrier Dog troubled with Worms.-My 66 pet terrier is sadly troubled with worms, and I know not what to give him. Will you kindly prescribe, and make me your debtor in the article of gratitude?-J. M. [All medicines, properly so called, are objectionable; but there is one method of expelling worms from the intestines of a dog that is almost infallible. This is, the administration of glass finely powdered. Not a particle of it can penetrate through the mucus that lines the bowels, while it destroys every intestinal worm. The powdered glass should be made into a ball, with lard and ginger.] Grey Parrot with Bad Habits.—I have a grey parrot (presumed to be African) which, being a great favorite, I am very desirous of improving in its personal appearance, which at present is any thing but prepossessing. It is now, and has been for the last ten years, almost destitute of feathers, from its constant habit of plucking them as they appear. Could you suggest a method of cure? -M. T. H. [If bitter aloes, rubbed over the bald places, does not cure this malady, it would be charitable to kill "poor Polly" at once,-would it not? This fault is peculiar to parrots, -a branch of the animal creation for which we have no particular fancy. They are never well, and seldom happy.] Fruitful Eggs of Fowl and other Poultry.-Is it yet known, whether it be possible to ascertain by the microscope, or otherwise, the fact of an egg being fertile? There is so much "said," pro and con, about this, and nothing satisfactory "known," that I feel anxious to have your opinion-WALTER. [Mr. Boccius has lately used a microscope at Worcester, and seen some millions of eggs in an eel's ovary (at least, so he "says "); but we have no faith in microscopes applied for any such purposes, and one single "fact goes further with us than the "wide range." We believe no person living can satisfactorily determine which is, or which is not, a fruitful egg,either by the touch, the sight, the weight, the size, the form; or the chemical appearance viewed by the aid of the strongest gas light. However, having put the question, let us hear what there is to be said about it,-leaving the "microscope" quite out of sight!] The Guinea-pig-Is the guinea-pig at all useful in keeping vermin away from rabbithouses? [not that we are aware of]. And what is best to feed them on?-F. M. [These little fellows are very hearty, and will eat anything,-oats, hay, bread and milk, &c. If allowed their liberty, they never ail anything, and will" multiply exceedingly." We once had a pair running about our house,-that pair soon became some other "half-a-dozen pairs."] TOWN AND COUNTRY. BY MARY MITFORD. brother of thine will turn out a jackanapes," "I'm desperately afear'd, Sue, that that was the apostrophe of the good yeoman, Michael Howe, to his pretty daughter, Susan, as they were walking one fine afternoon in harvest through some narrow and richly wooded lanes, which wound between the crofts of his farm of Rutherford West, situate in that out-of-the-way part of Berkshire which is emphatically called the "Low Country "--for no better reason that I can discover, than that it is the very hilliest part of the royal county. "I'm sadly afear'd, Sue, that he'll turn out a jackanapes!" and the stout farmer brandished the tall paddle which served him at once as a walkingstick and a weeding-hook, and began vigorously eradicating the huge thistles which grew by the roadside, as a mere vent for his vexation. "You'll see that he'll come back an arrant puppy!" quoth Michael Howe. Oh, father! don't say so," rejoined Susan ; you think so hardly of poor why should William-our own dear William, whom we have not seen these three years? What earthly harm has he done?" 66 " Harm, girl! Look at his letters! You know you're ashamed yourself to take 'em of the postman. Pink paper, forsooth, and (blue ink, and a seal with bits of make-be lieve gold, speckled about in it like a ladybird's wings I hate all make-believes, all shams; they're worse than poison; and stinking of some outlandish scent, so that I'm forced to smoke a couple of pipes extra to get rid of the smell; and latterly, as if this folly was not enough, he has crammed these precious scrawls into a sort of paperbag, pasted together just as if o' purpose to make us pay double postage. Jackanapes did I call him? He's a worse mollycot than a woman." "Dear father, all young men will be foolish one way or another; and you know my uncle says, that William is wonderfully steady for so young a man, and his master is so well pleased with him, that he is now foreman in his great concern. You must pardon a little nonsense in a country youth, thrown suddenly into a fine shop, in the gayest part of London, and with his godfather's legacy coming unexpectedly upon him, and making him too rich for a journeyman tradesman. But he's coming to see us now. He would have come six months ago, as soon as he got this money, if his master could have spared him; and he'll be wiser before he goes back to London." "Not he. Hang Lunnon! Why did he go to Lunnon at all? Why could he not stop at Rutherford, like his father and his father's father, and see to the farm? What business had he in a great shop? a man-mercer's they call it. What call had he to Lunnon, I say? Tell me that, Miss Susan." "Why, dear father, you know very well that when Master George Arnot was so unluckily obstinate about the affair of the watercourse, and would go to law with you, and swore that instead of marrying William, poor Mary should be married to the rich maltster, old Jacob Giles, William, who had loved Mary ever since they were children together, could not bear to stay in the country, and went off to my uncle, forbiding me ever to mention her name in a letter; and so "Well, well," rejoined the father, somewhat softened, "but he need not have turned puppy and coxcomb because he was crossed in love. Pshaw!" added the good farmer, giving a mighty tug with his paddle at a tough mullein, which happened to stand in bis way, "I was crossed in love myself, in my young days, but I did not run off and turn tailor. I made up plump to another wench-your poor mother, Susan, that's dead and gone-and carried her off like a man; married her in a month, girl; and that's what Will should have done. I'm afear'd we shall find him a sad jackanapes. Jem Hathaway, the gauger, told me last market-day, that he saw him one Sunday in the what-dye-call't-the Park there, covered with rings, and gold chains, and fine velvets all green and gold, like our great peacock. Well, we shall soon see. He comes tonight, you say? 'Tis not above six o'clock by the sun, and the Wantage coach don't come in till seven. Even if they lend him a horse and cart at the Nag's Head, he can't be here these two hours. So I shall just see the ten-acre field cleared, and be home time enough to shake him by the hand if he comes like a man, or to kick him out of doors if he looks like a dandy." And off strode the stout yeoman in his clouted shoes, his leather gaiters, and smock-frock, and a beard (it was Friday) of six days growth; looking altogether prodigiously like a man who would keep his word. Susan, on her part, continued to thread the narrow winding lanes that led towards Wantage; walking leisurely along, and forming as she went, half unconsciously, a nosegay of the wild flowers of the season; the delicate hare-bell, the lingering woodvetch, the blue scabious, the heaths which clustered on the bank, the tall graceful lilac campanula, the snowy bells of the bindweed, the latest briar-rose, and that species of clematis, which, perhaps, because it generally indicates the neighborhood of houses, has won for itself the pretty name of the traveller's joy; whilst that loveliest of wild flowers, whose name is now sentimentalised out of prettiness, the intensely blue forget-me-not, was there in rich profusion. Susan herself was not unlike her posy; sweet and delicate, and full of a certain pastoral grace. Her light and airy figure suited well with a fair mild countenance, breaking into blushes and smiles when she spoke, and set off by bright ringlets of golden hair, parted on her white forehead, and hanging in long curls on her finely rounded cheeks. Always neat, but never fine; gentle, cheerful, and modest, it would be difficult to find a prettier specimen of an English farmer's daughter, than Susan Howe. But just now the little damsel wore a look of care not usual to her fair and tranquil features; she seemed, as she was, full of trouble. "Poor William!" so ran her thoughts, "my father would not even listen to his last letter, because it poisoned him with musk. I wonder that William can like that disagreeable smell! and he expects him to come down on the top of the coach, instead of which, he says, that he means to purchase a-a-(even in her thoughts poor Susan could not master the word, and was obliged to have recourse to the muskscented billet), britschka-ay, that's it!—or a droschky; I wonder what sort of things they are--and that he only visits us en passant in a tour, for which, town being so |