24 



CHRISTMAS NUMBER AND ALMANAC 



I seemed to be in a flood of light and glory ; there were 

 no things of definite shape about me, only the echo of soft 

 delicious sounds, with, as it were, the memory of the breath 

 of flowers. My whole being seemed filled with the sense of 

 satisfied joy and perfect peace. 



Entering on this wondrous abode, I saw an augel shape, 

 which, as I gazed, assumed the look that once or twice I had 

 seen on tlie face of her I was mourning. Presently I heard 

 a cry of such exceeding joy, as never reaches earth, and I 

 saw — yes, I could not be mistaken in that sweet innocent 

 look — Charlie clasped to his mother's breast, and through all 

 tlie happy space I heard a joyous miurmur of " Charlie's 

 Crown ! Charlie's Crow^n ! " 



FiLIX FCESIINA. 



DOMESTICATED DIP-CHICKENS. 



o.>i( 



^ ^_^ SOMEWHAT remarkable circmu- 



~'l^. '#-^>L^' J *''""''"' '' '**' ^^^^ \s\r&.!i or animals, 

 jaJ^J /^i.y\_ f whieli by nature are the most secluded 

 "^1 1' »\ ■'""^' ^^'''^ '" their habits, become espe- 



cially tame and even docile when long 

 kept under constraint by man ; this was 

 especially illustrated by the circum- 

 , stances I am about to detail. Many 

 years back a jjcrson called upon mc, 

 and introduced himself by saying 

 " he bad heard I was veiy fond of 

 birds, and that he wanted to sell me two 

 di]j-chickens that he and a companion of his 

 had caught, diuring the preceding night, 

 whilst fishing." A few inquiries put me in 

 possession of the fact that they had been 

 caught in a trammel-net by these men whilst poaching for 

 fish in enclosed grounds. 



At the time I felt certain they would not live long, as they 

 would not even attemjjt to eat anything that was offered to 

 them, though I watclied tliem narrowly for some time, and 

 unseen. I mentioned, hoH ever, the name of a person I knew 

 had a small pond in a walled garden, and the man called on 

 him, demanding a soicreign for tlie two diji-chicks, as he had 

 previously asked me, on the ground they were unusual and 

 so great a curiosity. They were declined, and then, jjrior to 

 leaving, the man wlio caught them pressed earnestly for a 

 "bidding," and one of five shillings resulted, but was in a 

 very rilde manner declined. 



Two days afterwards I called to see if they had been pur- 

 chased, and thus found out the facts detailed. Singulai-ly 

 enough, whilst we were walking in the garden, the man again 

 called to say, " Please to tell the master he shall have them 

 birds at his own price," for it seems he had expended most 

 of the intermediate time in trying to sell tliem without getting 

 a single bidding. Strange to say, these birds looked quite as 

 hearty and well as when just caught, though absolutely fasted 

 for forty-eight hours. They were bought. I pinioned them 

 at once, and they were then put on the water, and dived 

 immediately. The pool was very small, and a great portion 

 very weedy ; lint as spring had barely set in, the weeds were 

 scarcely grown, and oflered no material obstacle to seeing 

 what might be going on. Still, after waiting about, perhaps, 

 an hour, without gettmg even a glimpse of either, the wife of 

 my friend began to ridicule the investment as " a stick-in- 

 the-mud aftair." 



For five or six days nothing was seen of them by any one 

 of the family ; but one day afterwards, at early dawn, both 

 were observed busily engaged searching the floating duck- 

 •wced, purposely placed for them. They dived as soon as 

 they detected themselves seen, but they were now traced to a 

 very small clump of rockwork, on which were a few bushes, 

 that stood in the water to support a figure, and which place 

 it was evident they frequently visited. To lie brief, from this 

 time they gradually became less and less timid, until eventually 

 they were absolutely regardless of bystanders. They would 

 even cat small pieces of ivorms and chopped egg that were 

 thrown to the gold-fish, with which the pond absolutely 

 swarmed, diving after each individual morsel with a dexterity 

 that was beyond realization, save to those who witnessed it, 

 and that often within a couple of feet of persons on the bank. 



As time progressed, the bulrushes pretty well filled a con- 

 siderable portion of their little watery domain, and in some place 

 or other that the owner could never discover, they actually 

 hatched five young ones. These youngsters were as beautiful 

 in appearance as young pai'tridgcs, which in colour and 

 markings they closely at first resembled, and this brood were 

 generally to be seen dipping and bobbing about more like the 

 floats of fishermen, tlian anything else I can describe. They 

 gi-ew most rajiidly, and soon assumed the splendid satin-like 

 breasts ; and I suggested, that unless these young ones were 

 also pinioned, they woidd soon be missing, as they had 

 become seai'cely recognizable from the old ones, and the lot 

 together, with their curious hopping gait if seen on land, 

 was so quaint and extraordinary as to be absolutely ridi- 

 culously amusing, though they always instantly took the 

 water on the a])proach of any one. For nearly two days, 

 with a large fishing net, eSbrts were made to catch them for 

 " pinioning," but only one (an old one ah'eady pinioned) was 

 ever taken, though several hnndi'eds of gold and silver fish 

 were destroyed in the attempt. I was not myself present, 

 but even now I think this affair was bnnglingly managed, 

 though as the pond was purposely staked to preserve the fish, 

 it might disarrange the free use of the net. The five yoimg 

 ones, within a fortnight or so afterwards, took wing in a 

 group, and never returned. The pair of old ones now proved 

 fidgetty and unsettled, and at the commencement of winter, 

 both were one morning found dead by the side of the frozen 

 water, to the absolute grief, I may tridy say, of every one of 

 the fanuly who owned them. In fact, at first they seemed as 

 though deploring the loss of one of the household. The 

 birds were certainly one of the most interesting " hobbies " I 

 can call to recollection. To myself, it was a matter of 

 surprise they exhibited so hardy a constitution and tenacity 

 of life, as was proved by the fasting powers of the old birds 

 when first caught. 



Their breeding on so small a water was quite as miforeseen, 

 and the non-discovery of any nest, after the most scnipulous 

 search, was another strange circumstance worthy of attention. 

 That the old bu'ds were caught on the eve of breeding was 

 evident, and perhaps to this alone may bo attributeil the 

 increase of this singularly anmsing pair of birds. I am sm'c 

 any individual, having suitable convenience for the attemijt, 

 would ex]icricnce a great amoimt of pleasure, providing they 

 were to be equally successful, with the Dip-Chick as a 

 fonciful "pet:" its rarity, and the singularity of its habits 

 and conformation, rendering it qiute an exhibition ; nor do 

 I think it at all im|io^sib]c, with jjroper care, to have pre- 

 served them alive throughout the \\intcr. 



Edwaud Hewitt. 

 Spark Brook, Birmingham. 



[We knew a Moor-hen that was similarly domesticated ; 

 but, at length, one warm spring it departed, probably on a 

 matrimonial excursion, and never retm'ncd.] 



-¥- 



