KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



185 



these we shall confine ourself. The poisoned 

 arrow he aimed at our heart, fell wide of its 

 mark — very. We do love Nature ; and above all 

 things, Mr Gray, we love good-nature. We 

 shall never sneer at any individual, however hum- 

 ble, who seeks to become acquainted with that 

 which God throws open to all ; and we are con- 

 tent to leave you " alone in your glory."] 



The Mutilated Jackdaw. — When you recorded 

 in our Journal of January, the atrocity com- 

 mitted by some miscreant (name unfortunately 

 unknown), who had cut (nearly) off the lower 

 mandible of a playful jackdaw — you imagined 

 the poor bird would die. So, from the account 

 given, did we all. Wonderful however is it to 

 relate, that it still lives ! The annexed appeared 

 in the Hampshire Advertiser, of March 12. — " An 

 Unnaturalist. — Under this side-head we inserted 

 in our paper of the 1st of January, a paragraph 

 supplied by a correspondent, narrating the mon- 

 strous cruelty of some wretch who had mutilated a 

 jackdaw by cutting off nearly half of its lower 

 bill. The poor bird belonged to Mr. Rideout, of 

 No. 7, Mount-place, Blechynden-terrace. It was 

 allowed its liberty, and had made acquaintance 

 with all the neighborhood — calling at the win- 

 dows, and receiving the tid-bits kept in store for 

 him by many persons. Our paragraph was trans- 

 mitted to Kidd's Journal, in which it appeared, 

 accompanied with the condemnatory remarks 

 such an abominable act naturally called forth. 

 Mr. Kidd's lady correspondent recommended, as 

 the most merciful act to "Poor Jack," to have 

 him killed. We have very great pleasure in stat- 

 ing, that the patient kindness of Miss Rideout has 

 rendered the fatal catastrophe unnecessary. We 

 called, a few days ago, to inquire after " Jack," 

 and fcmnd him " at home" and in excellent health 

 and spirits. He was called for by name from the 

 garden ; flew to the wrist of the messenger, and 

 was placed on the table at which his mistress sat. 

 Jack knew very well what was to follow, and 

 showed his pleasure by a variety of funny move- 

 ments. His mistress then crumbled portions 

 of biscuit, and fed " Jack " from her lips. 

 Some bits were placed on the table, and he was 

 told to show the visitor that he could eat — he did 

 so with evident reluctance at the trouble, having 

 to lay his side-face on the table ; but he can 

 eat nevertheless. The mutilated bill exhibits no 

 signs of growth. Jack is allowed his liberty, but 

 his wings are somewhat pruned to curtail his 

 flights. He calls at the houses of his acquaint- 

 ances ; and his " story" having created a greater 

 interest for him even than before, his patrons and 

 patronesses feed him like his mistress. He returns 

 home early in the evening, and flies to his cage, 

 the door of which is never closed ; but he does 

 not pay his morning visits till after he has taken 

 his breakfast at home." — I hope, my dear Sir, 

 this poor bird will show an excess of instinct, by 

 avoiding for the future the fiend who so exulted 

 in torturing him. I only wish that the name of 

 the monster were known to me — how soon would 

 I put you in possession of it ! — Hearts-ease, 

 Hants. 



[Oh, Hearts-ease ! you are an angel. Thank 

 you for the wish you show, to serve the cause of 

 true humanity. Will Miss Rideout kindly say, 



if she has the key to unlock the mystery ? If so, 

 the wretch may yet be dragged into notoriety, 

 and " branded" as he deserves. We should like 

 to endorse him, — " Our Editor — his mark ! "] 



Books, — are they Enemies or Friends f — There 

 can be no doubt that rooks, and birds generally, do 

 some damage to wheat-fields ; yet, in the case of 

 rooks, I think their benefits to the fanner so far 

 exceed the injuries they do him, that with the 

 exception of the stock he keeps on his farm, I ima- 

 gine there is no live animal which comes upon it 

 which benefits him so much as the rcoks. I ad- 

 mit that they eat grain both at seed-time and har- 

 vest, and that they are destructive to potatoes ; but 

 for how many weeks in the year are they fed upon 

 the produce of the farmer ? Suppose we say two 

 months (which is a liberal allowance, seeing that 

 at the time they are eating wheat and potatoes, they 

 are also feeding upon other things when they can 

 obtain them) ; what do they feed upon the remain- 

 ing ten months ? What, but grubs, worms, insects, 

 and their larvae? I once endeavored to estimate 

 the amount of insect-food destroyed by the 

 rooks in a rookery near the town where I 

 was born (belonging to W. Vavasour, Esq.) where 

 it was supposed there were 10,000 rooks. I 

 reckoned that each bird ate a pound of food per 

 week ; so that, for five-sixths of the year, they 

 lived entirely upon worms, insects, and their larvae. 

 Here, then (assuming my data to be correct), there 

 is no less a quantity than 200 tons of destructive 

 vermin eaten by the birds of a single rookery. And 

 when we consider that the larvae of some of these 

 insects (those of the cockchafer and some others) 

 are in the larvae state for three years ; and are 

 devourers of the farmers' crops the whole of that 

 time — we may find it difficult to realise the amount 

 of destruction which is prevented by the rooks. 

 In some countries, they are eaten up by the grubs 

 of the cockchafer ; but here (thanks to the rooks) 

 it is not even known as a destructive insect. The 

 first Lord Ribbiesdale was a great friend to tho 

 rooks ; and I have heard this partiality thus ac- 

 counted for, viz., that many years ago a flight of 

 locusts visited Craven and threatened to do much 

 damage ; but that the rooks came by thousands 

 from all parts of the country, and attacked the 

 locusts so vigorously and successfully, that they 

 were soon exterminated. When we come to reflect 

 on the great portion of the year during which they 

 eat nothing but insect food, we must admit that 

 the benefits they confer upon the farmers in the 

 aggregate, far exceed the injuries they inflict. — 

 T. G., Clitheroe. 



The Loss of the " Queen Victoria' Steamer^ off 

 : the Irish Coast. — I think, my dear Sir, that the 

 i remarks of the diver, who was asked to go down 

 | a second time into the cabin of this ill-fated vessel 

 — are well worthy of being immortalised in our 

 own Journal. They are few, but forcible. And 

 i oh ! how full of " terrible reality !" The following 

 i was received by electric telegraph: — " The plate 

 • had previously been 6aved by the diver, but no- 

 \ thing can induce him to go down a second time ; 

 i for he says that the scene which presented itself in 

 i the cabin was the most horrible he had ever wit- 

 | nessed. He relates that on his going down the 

 i cabin stairs, he thought that he had entered a wax- 



