KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



123 



cottage to different parts of the house, turned him 

 into the garden, took him to the furthest part ; but 

 the next day he was constantly in his pet spot, co- 

 vered with the Lycopodium like a mantle. How 

 he got into the house when the door was kept clos- 

 ed, or how he contrived to get on the shelves and 

 platforms — which all projected considerably over 

 their supports, I never could find out. Have you, 

 or any of your correspondents, observed similar 

 conduct on the part of this creature ? The neigh- 

 borhood where I reside has a great number of 

 ponds and pieces of water in it, and we are gene- 

 rally overrun with efts, toads and frogs ; but the 

 last summer and autumn, I really think I have 

 not seen more than a dozen or two, at the most. 

 Has this been the case elsewhere ?" — To this the 

 Editor makes answer, " We may speak to a point 

 on the many interesting facts that come under the 

 notice of our correspondent in her own garden. 

 We, ourself, know the particular structure, and 

 the form of bench referred to, on to which the 

 toad constantly found its way. This stage or 

 bench is, as stated, formed of slate, with slight 

 wooden supports ; and, we believe, nearly four 

 feet in height from the floor! The slate, as 

 stated, projects over the supports ; and there are 

 no ledges of any kind, unless the brick wall supply 

 them, which is a common pointed wall. As to 

 travelling up the supports, which are small pieces 

 of smooth quartering, the thing seems impossible. 

 Besides, unless it could travel with its back down- 

 wards, it could not pass from the supports to the 

 edge of the slate, which projects several inches 

 beyond the upper end of the supports. So im- 

 probable, indeed, are the facts which we have 

 here recorded, that the mind seems anxious to 

 discover some mode of throwing suspicion upon 

 the veracity of the witness. But here we, at 

 least, find no relief to our perplexity. Our corres- 

 pondent is not a tyro, but a long and tried student 

 in the world of nature. We know the person ; we 

 know the place ; we believe in the facts stated ; 

 but we can offer no solution whatever, as to the 

 precise nature of the faculties with which nature 

 has endued and fitted this singular reptile, so that 

 it can accomplish what seems to be a mechanical 

 impossibility. Whether these faculties be reason, 

 instinct, habit, or some other quality, we venture 

 no opinion. There are, possibly, few classes of 

 living creatures which, as in the case of this little 

 home-sick toad, do not, in their own way, enunciate 

 as emphatically as man himself, their full sympathy 

 with both the moral and the sentiment of " Home, 

 sweet home!" What think you of the above, 



Mr Editor ? — Louisa L , Sidmouth. 



[We imagine, Mademoiselle, that the door or 

 window must have been accidentally left open for 

 a minute or two. The sagacious reptile, watching 

 his opportunity, was, no doubt, speedily concealed 

 from sight, and safely in the room. How he 

 climbed the supports, we know not ; but we have 

 " heard" of such a thing being done. The " pro- 

 jections" which he must have passed under, and 

 over, leave us " in amazement lost."] 



11 Scent" as applied to Foxes. — There are two 

 curious letters, Mr. Editor, on the subject of 

 " scent," in a new and very interesting paper, 

 called the Field. I send them to you, as being en- 

 titled to a registration in our own Journal. The 



one by " Umbra" is as follows : — " Much has been 

 said and written about scent. There cannot be a 

 question, that the large number of foxes which have 

 been killed this season, have, in a great degree, 

 fallen victims to good scent. The saturated state 

 of the land, and the mild state of the atmosphere 

 hanging lazily over its mellowed surface, have, in 

 my opinion, been highly favorable to scent. The 

 state of body of the animal has, no doubt, a great 

 deal to do with a good scenting dog. His pores 

 are more open, and his flesh gives a little ; and is 

 less firm in close weather than in weather more 

 bracing. In confirmation of this, I have a tame 

 fox chained on a flag floor, in a yard which is 

 daily washed down, and kept very clean ; and I 

 find that on some days the animal emits a much 

 greater scent than on others. I am satisfied that 

 the state of body of the animal has much to do 

 with scent, but it is a subject, the inscrutable 

 nature of which, must ever leave it a mystery. 

 The floods, too, have rather bothered the foxes 

 this season, and have baulked their knowledge of 

 country. Some seventy years ago, it was the 

 practice to begin hunting, almost at day-break, 

 and with the heavy hounds and horses of that 

 day, to hunt — really to hunt — the fox by dint of 

 scent and sticking to him. Who knows whether 

 disturbing the animal immediately after his break- 

 fast, at six o'clock in the morning, did not make 

 him labor under repletion, and throw behind him 

 a much stronger scent than if he had been suffered 

 to repose and digest his food, until awakened at 

 the fashionable hour of our present meets ? " 



The second, by " Hardwicke," runs thus : — " In 

 your article, headed "Hunting," towards the 

 conclusion, you say, "One of the most remarkable 

 features of the present season, is the immense 

 number of foxes that have turned up ; and that, 

 too, in countries, which, at the close of the last 

 season were supposed to be short of them." Such 

 is the case in the country I hunt in, and the 

 simple cause is this. The two previous seasons 

 being remarkably dry, the numerous drains afforded 

 comfortable lodging for many a good wild fox, 

 who seldom lay above ground in the day. There 

 is not now a drain in our country where a fox can 

 put his head, and it will be long ere they are dry 

 enough for lodging. How do you account for a 

 scent, on days when a fox has set sail with the 

 wind blowing a hurricane behind him, and a 

 pelting pitiless storm in his favor ? On many 

 such days in the present season, hounds have run 

 hard, and frequently killed their fox. I have 

 heard several gentlemen converse on the subject, 

 but do not coincide in their conclusion. I ask 

 for information. My own humble opinion is, and 

 it is my own, that the immense quantity of rain 

 which has been falling, almost daily, for several 

 months past, has so washed and purified the soil, 

 that it presents an untainted surface. This, 

 consequently, retains the scent of a fox recently 

 passing over it, less combined with the noxious 

 vapors from manure, the scent of cattle, game, 

 etc., than is usual. I put on my first cap in 1818, 

 and have ever since remarked that a wet season 

 was generally favorable to hunting, in more 

 countries than one." — It would appear, Mr. 

 Editor, from this, that a fox does invariably give 

 forth a peculiar odor, both from his person proper 

 and from his footsteps. I have always imagined 



