58 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



inhabitation of vermin. I once was similarly 

 circumstanced. I observed all my young birds 

 were looking dejected and uneasy, and that some 

 of them could not perch. On handling them to 

 discover the cause, I found them full of vermin ; 

 and several of their claws were eaten off by these 

 Thugs, as you properly call them. — WT C. W. 



Sky-larks and Wood-larks, with Club Feet. — 

 All my skylarks (I have five) and my woodlarks (I 

 have three) have their feet deformed ; and they 

 make a sad noise, as they run to and fro in their 

 cages. They seem positively frightened at the 

 noise they make ! Do tell me, Sir, the reason of 

 this ; and also how I shall bring my birds into 

 song, with any other useful particulars. I have 

 only just heard of your Paper ; and I mean to 

 take it in regularly. — Caroline P. 



[We are glad to hear you are about to take in 

 our Journal. If you are fond of birds, and are 

 desirous of knowing hoio to treat them, procure 

 our first and second Volumes. In these you will 

 find the most minute particulars given for the 

 management of all kinds of birds — not only from 

 our own pen, but contributed by many of our 

 correspondents, whose experience has been regis- 

 tered in our columns pro bono publico. The case 

 of your wood-larks and sky -larks has been treated 

 of at much length, as the " index" will show you; 

 and it would be unfair to our readers to go over 

 the same ground again here — nor is it needful. 

 This periodical of ours, is not ephemeral. Its 

 value as a " practical work of reference" is inap- 

 preciable. As it has been rendered so by our 

 contributors, we may say this without incurring 

 a charge of egotism.] 



On Taming Animals. — I am really surprised, my 

 dear Sir, to see how you are teased on this sub- 

 ject ! Long before your, or rather our own Jour- 

 nal saw the light, I had a cat which would fol- 

 low me about everywhere. Long after I had 

 quitted my father's roof, that cat bore me in un- 

 ceasing remembrance. I used to pay a weekly 

 visit to the old house, every Sunday. Did that 

 cat know when Sunday came round ? Did she 

 not ! As regularly as clock-work would she come 

 out to meet me, as I neared the spot. Then 

 would she jump, frisk, gambol, and bound merrily 

 homewards, to announce that I was near at hand. 

 There was no mistake here. We all understood 

 thoroughly what was to happen, and what did 

 happen. One day — forgive me if I was cruel — I 

 resolved to play off a little trick to try the since- 

 rity of my feline friend. We met as usual, and 

 away flew Tom, to say to the inmates " here he 

 comes !" — However, this time " he" did not come. 

 I hid myself behind a tree, and watched the event. 

 As I suspected, all came out to meet me — "Tom" 

 included. I was absent ! How dolefully that 

 poor dear creature did whine when he missed me ! 

 His look was that of despair. However, I soon 

 discovered myself; and his joy was unbounded, 

 His end was that of most " pets." He had 

 strayed — had eaten of what was not meant for 

 him ; and when sought for was "found dead." I 

 have several little anecdotes to send you shortly 

 that will just suit our Journal. I have been a 

 constant reader of yours from the first. I have 

 met with a host of difficulties in getting it — but I 



always peremptorily insisted on the bookseller 

 procuring it ; and thus alone could I have suc- 

 ceeded. All your readers should do the same. I 

 am glad to hear of your new change ; and sincerely 

 say to you — " Go on, and prosper"." I will recom- 

 mend our Journal whenever and wherever I 

 have an opportunity. — A. B. M., Coventry. 



[You did right in compelling the bookseller to pro- 

 cure you the Journal. We only wish all our kind 

 friends in the country had done as you have done. 

 We should then — instead of being minus nearly 

 £600, have been that amount in pocket — a serious 

 " difference" to us ! We have three parts killed our- 

 self during the past year. One head, and one pair 

 of hands, did then — as they are doing now, the 

 work of at least half a dozen individuals. Not 

 being gifted with a " lined " purse (our hard- 

 hearted brethren know this), our head and hands 

 have been constrained to make up the heavy de- 

 ficiency. We have paid the penalty in a shattered 

 constitution. What makes us refractory is — that 

 when it is admitted on all hands that we ought 

 to have succeeded, we did not succeed. Our 

 Paper has been reported as " dead," " dropped," 

 " out of print," &c, &c, without mercy. This, 

 in all parts of the country. The Town trade are 

 blameable for this, — for the Country bookseller can 

 only give the answer he receives from his London 

 agent. _ " Paternoster Row " is notorious for these 

 dirty tricks. The large houses sell just what they 

 please ; and annihilate the rest. The Country 

 Trade are quite at their mercy ; and it is only 

 fair for us to state this. Our files groan under 

 complaints from the country. These complaints 

 are founded in reason ; but we can, personally, 

 offer the writers no redress. * Now that we have 

 a Monthly issue only, let us hope we shall sail 

 more smoothly. As regards the labor attached to 

 our Journal, — we may remark that, to reply to 

 "the Correspondence " alone, by post, would keep 

 a man of ordinary talent unceasingly at work. 

 Yet do we, unaided, manage the whole — from first 

 to last ! _ We think we have u a right " to the 

 "Mysterious Cloak," under such circumstances.-}-] 



A Lesson to Parents. — Oblige me, my dear 

 Mr. Editor, by inserting the following in our 

 Journal. It is a scene from Jean Paul Richter, 

 and carries with it an obvious moral for all but 

 the wilfully blind. " A delicate child, pale, and 

 prematurely wise, complained on a hot morning 

 that the poor dew-drops had been too hastily 

 snatched away, and not allowed to glitter on the 

 flowers like other happier dew-drops, that live the 

 whole night through, and sparkle in the moon- 

 light ; and through the morning, onwards to noon- 

 day. ' The sun,' said the child, ' has chased them 

 away with his heat, or swallowed them up in his 

 wrath.' Soon after, came rain and a rainbow ; 

 whereupon his father pointed upwards. ' See,' said 



*Wc are continually receiving private notes, 

 addressed to Hammersmith, enclosing remittances 

 for Nos. and Parts of the Journal, to be forwarded 

 by post to the writers. The countiy booksellers 

 tell them, — " the Work is not to be had, and it is 

 no use writing any more to their London Agents 

 for it."— Ed. K.J. 



f See Vol. i., Page 104. 



