58 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



the palings of Victoria Park. The tips of the 

 wings were rather shattered, otherwise it was in 

 good and perfect condition. Limacodes Testudo : 

 I took several larvae of this moth at West Wick- 

 ham, in October last. Semiophora Gothica . I 

 took a specimen of this insect, near the middle 

 of June last, near Dartford. Polia Serena, Cucul- 

 lia Umbratica : These moths appear to have been 

 rather plentiful this year, in the vicinity of London. 

 I have taken and seen many specimens obtained 

 in this neighborhood. I am informed, the former 

 literally swarmed on the coast at Deal. Xerene 

 Albicillata : I took three specimens of this beauti- 

 ful insect in one spot, on the 2nd of July last, at 

 Darenth. Bapta Taminaria, Macaria Notataria, 

 appear to have been unusually abundant this year 

 at Darenth. I took several specimens of both 

 insects Hypsopygia Costalis : Several speci- 

 mens of this beautiful moth have occurred in an 

 apple tree in my garden. Hypenodes Abbistri- 

 galis : A specimen in Plumstead Wood, last 

 August : — Scopula Fernigalis : I took several 

 specimens of this insect in good condition at 

 Brighton, about the middle of September last. 

 Pempelia Perfluella: several specimens in July 

 last. The larvae, I imagine, feed on elm, as all 

 specimens I have hitherto obtained were in- 

 variably beat from hedges of the above tree. I 

 have taken this species as early as the 28th of 

 May. Elachista Cerussella : I have obtained 

 the male of this Tinea by breeding. It appears 

 to have been hitherto unknown. Pterophorus 

 Acanthodactylus : a specimen in the month of 

 August, which I beat from a mixed hedge at 

 Leytonstone. P. Phceodactylus : several speci- 

 mens in the neighborhood of Croydon, during the 

 month of July. P. Tetradactylus : a specimen 

 on the chalk hills near Dartford, in July last. 

 Chrysomela Hcemoptera : a specimen at Brighton, 

 about the middle of September last. — C. Miller, 

 Hackney , January 12. 



Modern Education. — People, now-a-days, seem 

 to marvel at servants and others being ignorant ; 

 seeing that this is the age of progress. Progress ! 

 Yes. But do we begin at the right end ? Ques- 

 tion ! A few days since, I entered a shop in a 

 neighboring parish to make a trifling purchase. 

 Whilst there, a smartly-dressed young woman, 

 aged about twenty-five, and having the appearance 

 of a nursery governess, stepped in. From the airs 

 she gave herself, and her evident desire to attract 

 attention, I was induced — you know I am always, 

 like yourself, trying to learn something — to linger 

 behind for a few minutes. I then heard as follows : 

 — Simpering Miss — Pray do you sell stamps ? 

 Shop-woman — Yes, M-i-s-s. Simpering Miss — 

 Will you be so obliging as to let me have two 

 penn'orth? Shop-woman — Yes, M-i-s-s. (And 

 she cut them off; and put them in paper.) Sim- 

 pering Miss — Now I must get you to tell me how 

 much they come to. The answer was — " two- 

 pence." This difficulty over; a question was raised 

 as to the shop-woman selling wafers. One pen- 

 n'orth of these was asked for ; and handed over, 

 in a neat envelope. Then followed the knotty 

 question — " How much do they amount to?" and 

 the answer — " one penny, if you please, M-i-s-s." 

 " Dear me !" simpered the purchaser, " one penny, 

 — just what I guessed. Thank you. Here is a 



four-penny piece. What will they be altogether ?" 

 The reply of "three-pence," elicited one more 

 question — " Will there be any change ?" Another 

 reply of — " Yes ; one penny," seemed to amaze 

 the fair postulant, who smirkingly tripped off, in 

 the highest good humor with herself, lisp-ing out 

 — " I wish you a g-o-o-d morn-ing, me'm !" As 

 she became lost to sight, I turned round and 

 inquired if many such customers entered that 

 shop ? The mistress, coming forward, replied — 

 " Yes, indeed, I have many such ; but," added she, 

 " I do not know the person who has just gone out. 

 She is a chance customer." Now. my dear sir, 

 on every side we behold extravagantly-built alms- 

 houses, as well as schools for the reception and 

 education of the humbler classes. Would it not, 

 I ask you, be a wiser thing to expend more money in 

 training the mind of the poorer classes in the right 

 way? Then might we gaze more complacently 

 on some of these absurdly-ornamented buildings ! 

 I am no friend to the ridiculous education 

 accorded to many classes in the present day ; 

 but surely, such a spectacle as the one I have 

 faintly described to you, is something more than 

 lamentable ! — Bombyx Atlas. 



[Your remarks are perfectly just. We daily 

 see lamentable exhibitions of this extreme ig- 

 norance. Pretty faces and pretty figures are all 

 very well, — in their way ; but how one shudders 

 at the wilderness of weeds within !] 



Curious Collection of Semi-torpid Flies in a 

 Thatched Hoof. — On removing part of the 

 thatched roof of the Rectory House, Stockleigh 

 Pomeroy, in .order to replace it by new — which 

 was done a fortnight before Christmas, 1853, 

 an immense number of flies, consisting chiefly 

 of the Musca Coesar, M. Domestica, and M. 

 Carnaria, were found huddled together in a 

 semi-torpid state. Amongst them were the re- 

 mains of a great quantity of the smaller species, 

 as well as of those above-mentioned, apparently 

 the collection of several years. There were also 

 about forty females of the Vespa Vulgaris, which 

 had evidently taken up their winter quarters 

 in the thatch. Most of them were killed ; but 

 not before some of the workmen had felt that 

 these gentry wore their side-arms. — C. F. T. Y. 



Cats as Merchandise. "A Card." — I observe, 

 my dear sir, not without some degree of secret 

 pleasure (in which I think you will share), that 

 cats are " doing" in Australia at 20s. each. At 

 page 319, Vol. IV. of Our Journal, reference is 

 made by a correspondent to Mr. Hitchcock, of 

 Geelorig, who deals largely, — purchasing by the 

 cart (or cat) load. Now, my dear sir, do you 

 know the party or parties, — and is there any 

 chance of our leing able to do business toge- 

 ther (I speak confidentially) on anything like a 

 remunerating scale ? Of course you must par- 

 ticipate in the profits; and if you negotiate 

 satisfactorily, I will invoice each animal to you 

 {you accounting for the sales to me) at 12s. 6d. 

 each, — with a further rebate of 5 per cent, for a 

 cash settlement. To prevent any annoyance, I 

 will call them " Tabbs," imd they shall be sent 

 up in a wooden cask (per cart). Entre nous, 

 I hate all cats but my own ; and of her — dear 

 good soul ! — you have already spoken in terms of 



