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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



hive is gone, and its days are numbered. The 

 numerous complaints of the loss of hives during 

 the last unfavorable season, seem to indicate a 

 misapprehension of the physiology and habits of 

 the bee, leading to the idea that bees are torpid 

 during winter; whereas, they consume food, and 

 maintain a temperature of about 80°. To insure 

 their safety, I weigh my hives in September ; if 

 they have more food than sufficient to carry them 

 through the winter, they are welcome to it, — they 

 have worked for it, and it is their share of the 

 partnership ; if they are too light, as I do not 

 expect profit without outlay, I supply food as 

 rapidly as possible. The quantity necessary for 

 winter store, varies greatly in different localities, 

 even of England. In Kent, lOlbs. are considered 

 sufficient ; in Northumberland, they are not safe 

 with less than 20lbs. This is the plan I adopt, 

 and I never lose a hive nor feed during winter ; 

 but should I find a hive light in February, I 

 would pour a pound or two of syrup into the side 

 combs. — C. H. 



Spring : — 



And now comes buoyant Spring, — 

 A beauteous Virgin with wide-streaming locks, 

 And bosom crowned with flowers. Her head 

 With wreath of rosy buds adorned. Her wrists 

 And ankles with the fragrant woodbine twined, 

 In either hand a scent-exhaling nosegay, 

 Whilst all around the feathered tenants of the 



grove 

 Do pipe and sing for very joy. All nature 

 Glows with gladness, and exults with varied voice, 

 Raising a hymn of praise to Him who made 

 And doth sustain this earthly paradise ! 



Glasgow, April 5th. Trefoil. 



The Climate of Russia. — In Russia, one is per- 

 petually reminded of two things — the absence of 

 the sun, and the presence of power. Both are 

 equally important, alike in their social and external 

 effects; perhaps the last is the necessary conse- 

 quence of the first. A very simple reason makes, 

 and ever must make, the Russians desirous above 

 all things of escaping out of their own country : it 

 is the severity of its climate. Those who live in 

 a country where the snow covers the ground for 

 eight months in the year, and the long nights of 

 winter ai-e illuminated by the cold light of the 

 aurora borealis, long with inexpressible ardor for 

 the genial warmth and 'sunny hills of the south, 

 where the skies are ever blue, the sun ever shines, 

 and nature teems with the luxuriance of tropical 

 vegetation. The shores of the Bosphorus, the 

 Golden Horn, the dome of St. Sophia, are not 

 only the secret dream of ambition to every Rus- 

 sian, but the undoubted object of their expedi- 

 tion. "I do not wish for Constantinople," said 

 Nicholas; "my empire is already too large; but 

 I know that I, or my successors, must have it: 

 you might as well arrest a stream in its descent 

 from a mountain, as the Russians in their advance 

 to the Hellespont." The habits which necessity 

 has given to them permanently fit, and ever must 

 fit them for foreign conquest. Their life is a 

 continual conflict with the severity of nature ; 

 actual warfare, as to the Roman soldiers, is felt 

 chiefly as a relaxation from the rude but invigo- 



rating discipline of peace. What are the hard- 

 ships of a campaign to men who never knew the 

 luxury of beds ; whose food is black bread and 

 water ; who sleep ever on the hard bench or cold 

 ground, and know no pleasure save the simple 

 ones of nature, and the exciting ones of conquest ? 

 When the north ceases to communicate vigor to 

 the frame, hardihood to the habits, and ambition 

 to the soul, Russia will cease to be a conquering 

 country ; but not till then. — Alison. 



An Insect Thief. — On my return home, after 

 an absence of six weeks, I attempted in vain to 

 introduce a key into the lock of the table-drawer 

 in my study, in order to open it. Finding there 

 was an obstruction, I introduced a sharp pick, and, 

 to my astonishment, drew out a number of small 

 gravel stones, and lumps of dirt, more than suffi- 

 cient to fill a tea-spoon. At first it was supposed 

 that these had been intentionally pushed in by 

 some one mischievously disposed ; and it was not 

 till a carpenter had come and forced the drawer 

 open, and taken the lock off (which was neces- 

 sary, in order thoroughly to clean it), that the real 

 cause of the annoyance became apparent. It was 

 then discovered that some insect had entered by 

 the keyhole, on different occasions, during the 

 time, as was supposed, of the window of the room 

 being open, and constructed its nest within the 

 wards of the lock ; a considerable portion of the 

 nest being still entire, and in it a solitary larva, 

 to all appearance nearly full grown. Not more 

 than one larva was observable ; if there was a 

 second, it must have been so small as to escape 

 notice ; neither was there any store of food found 

 with it ; but probably this, whatever it may have 

 been originally, had already been devoured. Since 

 writing the above, Professor Henslow has sent me 

 the particulars of a very similar case, that occurred 

 not long since in his parish of Hitcham, in Suffolk. 

 He says: "The padlock upon the door of our 

 village coal-house was brought to me, in con- 

 sequence of the key having been broken in an 

 effort to overcome the resistance opposed by some 

 sand, which it was believed at the time had been 

 inserted by a mischievous boy. Upon opening 

 the padlock, it was found the obstruction had been 

 occasioned by a hymenopterous insect, apparently 

 some species of a bee, having selected this retreat 

 for the construction of its nest. The sand was 

 intermixed with a large quantity of pollen, which 

 the bee had laid up in store." — L. Jenyns. 



The Artificial Propagation of Salmon. — As 

 several reports have been circulated in the news- 

 papers, says the " Manchester Guardian," to the 

 effect that the attempt to propagate salmon by 

 artificial means in Ireland and elsewhere had 

 extensively failed, we think it right to state that 

 we have obtained some information from the very 

 best sources, which convinces us that these 

 reports are wholly unfounded. On the contrary, 

 we are glad to say the success attending the 

 first attempt at propagation on an extensive scale, 

 in this country, has surpassed our most sanguine 

 expectations. It is reported from Perth, where 

 about 350,000 ova are nearly hatched, that every- 

 thing has progressed most satisfactorily : the 

 whole of the ova, with a trifling exception, seem 

 to be in a lively state. The only difficulty appears 



