KIDD'S OWN JOUKNAL. 



57 



hope the circumstance will, if recorded, induce 

 others to be similarly humane and generous. — 

 Bombyx Atlas. — Tottenham. 



[These animals, if kindly used, live to an 

 almost incredible age. Some thirty years since, 

 we saw a donkey at work in Carisbrooke Castle, 

 Isle of Wight. It used to draw up the bucket 

 from the deep well there (shown to visitors) ; and 

 had been, we were told, in that occupation some 

 sixty years. Its age was stated to be about 

 eighty -four. We heard, a few years subsequently, 

 that it was dead, — not from age, but from an 

 accident. We should imagine that from thirty 

 to forty years of age would be a fair average 

 calculation.] 



Notes during a Short Ramble near Dorches- 

 ter. — On a day in the early part of this month 

 (December), feeling inclined for a little fresh air, 

 (having been closely confined in the office for 

 many days), and the morning being clear after a 

 fine frost, I took a stroll in fair company round 

 Stafford ; returning home by Stinsford. Although 

 Winter has arrived, so many objects of local 

 interest to a lover of nature are to be observed 

 within this short distance, that I cannot refrain 

 from giving your readers a brief statement of the 

 incidents. We first passed through Fordington, a 

 parish of which I can only say it bears not a little 

 resemblance to the far-famed " St. Giles's, in 

 olden time ;" before the hand of improvement and 

 progress (fortunately never ceasing) had swept 

 away the impurities of that place. I hope to live, 

 to be enabled to record the like result with re- 

 ference to Fordington. We then cross a bridge 

 on the Wareham road, over the South Western 

 Railway, — adjoining a very deep cutting through 

 the chalk, and famous for numerous and good 

 specimens of fossil remains, discovered here in 

 great profusion. We next pass through a turn- 

 pike gate, en route to Stafford ; and thence up a 

 pretty incline, leaving the picturesque little 

 parsonage house of Winterborne Came on the 

 right. From the top of this hill, standing on one 

 of the Tumuli for which our county is remar- 

 kable (tombs, doubtless of the Romans), a noble 

 view of a large extent of country meets the eye, 

 with Kingston House (now the seat of James 

 Fellowes, Esq., formerly of William Morton Pitt, 

 Esq., Member of Parliament for the county), 

 Bockhampton, and Stafford, in the foreground, 

 and Clyffe House, Tincleton and other villages, 

 and the railway meandering through the valley, — 

 in the distance. Proceeding onward, after listen- 

 ing to the rushing engine with a long train of 

 carriages, we again cross the railway over another 

 bridge. And just below, we enter the fields, 

 through which the road leads; forming part of the 

 Froome estate. The mansion has been lately re- 

 built, and is occupied by the owner, John Floyer, 

 Esq.; one of the M.P.'s for the county. It is a 

 . very interesting structure, in the Old English style; 

 and surrounded by some splendid trees, bearing 

 the remains of the last year's nests of a colony of 

 rooks, — many of which were flying slowly over 

 the fields, on the look-out for prey. We then get 

 into a pretty lane, with hedges and rivulets on 

 each side ; till we arrive at the large bridge over 

 the river Froome, near the quiet village of Bock- 

 hampton, which, with its new school-house, &c-, 



forms a very pleasing object to the passer-by. 

 The water was glassy-clear, and we saw many 

 fine specimens of the fish for which " our river" 

 is noted — the trout. It was amusing to watch 

 these fellows, facing the limpid little rivulets 

 running from the meadows into the river ; waiting 

 for flies and other in sects brought down by the 

 stream. The path from the bridge is bordered 

 on each side with water ; and the trout, with now 

 and then the splash of a rat, and the low murmur 

 of the ripple over the gravelly bed form a cheer- 

 ful accompanimenl to our thoughts. We also 

 saw several fine blackbirds in the hedges, hunting 

 for food ; and others over the water-meadows. 

 Insects we observed none; but it was evident, 

 from the occupation of the blackbirds, that worms 

 and others were " about, to their undoing." Still 

 going along the path skirting the pleasure-grounds 

 of Kingston House (a view of which we had from 

 the opposite hill about a mile distant), we were 

 entertained by the sounds of the various aquatic 

 birds on the ponds ; and the flight of some dis- 

 turbed teal. We saw likewise several of those 

 lovely little " conceited"-looking birds, the Kitty 

 Wren; and also of the Eobin, — so well known, 

 and on account of their tameness, respected even 

 by boys, — usually such young destructives. 

 Emerging now from the fields into the road called 

 "the London Road," at the point of Fordington- 

 moor Turnpike, we cross the river again at Grey's 

 Bridge, — a handsome stone erection of three 

 arches, built by one of the Pitt family at the end 

 of the last century ; and afterwards turning off at 

 the bridge called Swan's Bridge, at the lower part 

 of the High East Street, we proceed again by the 

 bank of the river, passing the " Old Friary," — of 

 which, however, no record remains. Here we 

 were delighted at seeing a bright-plumed King- 

 fisher fly from the bank to the other side of the 

 river, and become lost to view. The blue back 

 of the little beauty appeared brilliant to a degree; 

 and I never before saw one so close to the town. 

 Our arrival at the foot of the grounds of the gaol 

 by Friary Mills, completed our walk ; which, it is 

 needless to say, with fine weather (cold, but con- 

 ducive to health and spirits), we greatly enjoyed. 

 I cannot help thinking that a walk like this may 

 be slightly instructive ; and I must here hold up 

 my feeble voice against the indiscriminate 

 slaughter of birds and other animals for " collec- 

 tions," so ably commented on in Our own Jour- 

 nal (see page 283 of the Fourth Volume) ; for 

 I frequently call to mind the beautiful lines of the 

 immortal bard : — 



MARCUS ANDRONICUS. 



" Alas ! my Lord, I have but killed a fly." 



TITUS ANDRONICUS. 



" But how, if that fly had a father and mother ? 

 How would he hang his slender gilded wings, 

 And buz lamenting doings in the air? 

 Poor harmless fly ! 



That with his pretty buzzing melody, 

 Came here to make us merry; and thou hast 

 killed him ! " 



Dorchester, Dec. 26, 1853. John Garland. 



Insect Observations. Notes on Lepidoptera. 

 — Zeuzera iEsculi : I saw a fine female 

 specimen of this moth in July last, taken from 



