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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



oil in that salad has possibly come from Paris, 

 where incredible quantities are manufactured at 

 the knacker's yard ! Whole carcasses of horses 

 being there boiled down, the fat is resolved in- 

 to its component stearine and elaine ; the for- 

 mer being converted into candles, and the latter 

 into olive oil. — But I will stop here — hoping that 

 some good may come out of the knowledge of so 

 muck evil ! — Jane R., Chiswich. 



Mr. Stephens' Cabinets of British Insects. — 

 British Entomologists will be pleased to learn that 

 the Trustees of the British Museum have pur- 

 chased the whole of the late Mr. J. F. Stephens' 

 Cabinets of British Insects. As the Collection 

 contains the whole of the typical specimens 

 described by Marsham in the " Entomologia 

 Britannica," a considerable number of those de- 

 scribed by Haworth in his " Lepidoptera Britan- 

 nica," and the whole of those described in Mr. 

 Stephens' "Illustrations of British Entomology" 

 — the acquisition of this collection is of course 

 a matter of national interest. — W. 



" The Ladies' Petition." — As our Journal 

 treats of " Things in General," — may I ask what 

 you think, Mr. Editor, of the monster petition of 

 the Ladies of England, on the subject of American 

 Slavery ? Though a woman myself, I really blush 

 for my sex. Tell me — am I right ? — Susanna. 



[Yes, Lady Susanna ; you are right. The 

 " twenty-six volumes, folio, of Signatures," got 

 up by our masculine women of England, will 

 stand as an indelible " mark of impertinence" so 

 long as time shall last. They have had one decent 

 trimming already — they richly deserve another. 

 How brightly Woman shines in her own sphere ! 

 But let her once pass the bounds of decorum — 

 and where will she not run to ! " Clever Women," 

 and " Political Women," are our mortal aversion.] 



Evergreen Shrubs introduced into Flower Gar- 

 dens. — It would justly be considered, at the pre- 

 sent day, a retrograde movement in gardening 

 practice to train or trim trees and shrubs in re- 

 presentation of animal life ; and such figures, 

 however skilfully formed, cannot be ornamental, 

 but rather indicate a whimsical and childish taste. 

 There can be nothing more pleasing to the eye 

 than symmetry of form, as represented in the gi- 

 gantic formation of our forest trees that occupy 

 individual stations in the park or lawn, or the 

 finely-balanced proportions of our less imposing 

 shrubs forming single specimens or massed in 

 groups, towards the limits or boundary of the 

 flower gardens. That shrubs and flowers, as 

 separate objects, possess beauty independent of 

 one another, is willingly admitted ; yet a visit to 

 the flower gardens at the present time, forces the 

 evident truth before us that, with a great amount 

 of labor, time, and expense, we are only remune- 

 rated by a fine display of color for a very short 

 period of time ; and until ihat time again comes 

 round, we have nothing to look upon but the 

 empty and desolate appearance of the flower beds. 

 That this order of things is absolutely necessary, 

 cannot be — at least in its widest sense ; for if 

 there is a shadow of reason why oranges, and 

 other tender shrubs in boxes, should occupy pro- 

 minent situations in the flower-garden in summer, 



there is a necessity for supplying their places 

 with some of our hardy ornamental shrubs, which 

 can be kept in reserve for that purpose. Planting 

 up the empty beds would rather be a matter of 

 consideration of time and labor, than any difficulty 

 in the operation ; and very little extra trouble 

 would be involved in keeping plants for the express 

 purpose. An arrangement of this sort seems 

 ! highly necessary — at least where the flower gar- 

 1 den is contiguous to the mansion ; and by intro- 

 1 ducing choice varieties of shrubs, patches of early- 

 flowering heath, and margining the beds with 

 different-colored crocus, and other early -flowering 

 bulbs, the whole effect would be lively and 

 ! pleasing. — G. F. 



Chance, or Design ? — In what confusion, says 

 1 the good Derhain, must the world for ever have 

 been, but for the variety which we find to exist in 

 the faces, the voices, and handwritings of men ! 

 j No security of person, no certainty of possession, 

 no justice between man and man, no distinction 

 between good and bad, friends and foes, father 

 and child, husband and wife, male and female — 

 all would have been exposed to malice, fraud, 

 forgery, and oppression. But now man's face can 

 distinguish him in the light, his voice in the dark; 

 and his handwriting can speak for him though 

 absent, and be his witness to all generations. Did 

 this happen by chance, or is it not a manifest, as 

 well as an admirable indication of a Divine 

 superintendence? — Infidelity, Mr. Editor, must 

 surely " blush " sometimes ! What a horrible 

 wretch an atheist must be ! — Amelia C. 



[Yes, dear Minnie. Such characters lie down 

 like monsters, and rise up mere cumberers of the 

 ground. Hating their Creator, they try to poison 

 all the streams through which His many mercies 

 flow. Do such people, Minnie, read our Jour- 

 nal ? Oh, no !] 



Insects. — Cossus, Cerura; &c. — Thanks, many, 

 to Bombyx Atlas, for his kind information. 

 As regards Cossus, 1 have tried no particular 

 method for rearing it, beyond supplying it with 

 fresh wood ; but it could neither be induced to eat, 

 j nor to change its state. I have another now, — 

 ' a small one, procured a few weeks 6ince. How 

 i shall I manage him ? Do they exist as larvae for 

 | one year, or for three years? This is variously 

 i stated in different books. Should I be able to secure 

 ' any more of the eggs I- was unsuccessful with, I 

 ' will certainly avail myself of Bombyx's kind offer 

 1 immediately. I cannot now for one moment doubt 

 the fact with regard to Cerura, after the confir- 

 mation it has received. However, I should be 

 very sorry, in this instance, to have ocular demon- 

 stration. I think myself very fortunate in having 

 escaped their discharge. While rearing them last 

 year, they were certainly very compassionate to a 

 young and unskilful entomologist. I have experi- 

 enced great pleasure in reading the communications 

 sent by Bombyx to our Journal ; and should feel 

 much obliged to him, if he could give any infor- 

 mation as to the best method of obtaining cater- 

 pillars. — Cerura, Pimlico. 



Platonic Affection. — Love full-fledged, — 

 eagerly watching for the first fine day to fly. 



