KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



231 



apostles. What is there more proper, to con- 

 found hypocrisy and to tranquillise the most 

 timorous piety, than the encouraging accordance 

 of my principles with the teaching of those who, 

 without captious reasonings, without vain sub- 

 tleties, have so well developed the nature of man ; 

 who have mainly occupied themselves in contri- 

 buting to his happiness, who have revealed to us 

 a morality the purest, and the most appropriate to 

 our wants ; who, in fine, have so frequently sealed 

 with their blood, eternal truth ? 



MORE "CURIOUS FACTS." 

 The Common Mouse, and the Whitebait. 



The good folk op Scotland must 

 forgive us for our unwearied zeal in u dab- 

 bling" among all things that throw a light 

 upon the footsteps of Nature. We have 

 " strolled" much of late, and seen things 

 innumerable that will have to be treated of 

 in turn. Meantime we make room, as usual, 

 for two interesting notes, contained in the 

 " Naturalist," No. 28. The one by R. F. 

 Logan, Esq., of Duddington, treats of the 

 Common Mouse. The other, by G. Pul- 

 man, Esq., of Crewkerne, clears up the 

 mystery of the Whitebait, once said to live 

 in the Thames only. Space forbids our 

 adding any notes of our own upon this 

 far-famed luxury; but an opportunity for 

 so doing will offer hereafter. 



Notes on the Common Mouse. 



For some time past I have had a live specimen 

 of the Common Mouse (Mus Mtisculus) in cap- 

 tivity, for the purpose of observing its habits ; and 

 as Common Mice are, I should think, not very 

 often kept as pets, unless it be the albino variety, 

 it may perhaps interest some of your readers to 

 know something of the manners of this agile, 

 timid little cosmopolite. 



For a short time after its introduction to its 

 domicile, it was restless and watchful, con- 

 stantly biting the wires with its teeth ; and in 

 so doing, making such a noise, that had its 

 teeth not been very hard and strong, they must 

 have been broken to pieces by such violent 

 exercise on so hard a substance. Now it sleeps 

 away most of its time during the day, rolled up 

 in a corner like a ball, but is roused by the 

 slightest noise ; and when food is placed within 

 its reach, awakes to full activity, steals out of 

 its corner, seizes it in its mouth, and runs with 

 it generally into the opposite corner; where it 

 munches it, holding it between its fore feet, and 

 crouching on the hinder ones ; but not sitting 

 erect, as we see Mice frequently drawn. This 

 posture it very seldom assumes ; but does so oc- 

 casionally when cleaning its fur, though never, I 

 believe, while feeding. It is a most cleanly little 

 animal, and always dresses its fur after a meal ; 

 licking its paws quite clean, and then raising them 

 both together over its head, and stroking down 

 its face and ears ; finishing] the operation by 

 licking its fur as far as it can reach, very much 

 after the manner of its enemy the Domestic Cat. 



When about to lie down, it generally turns round 

 once or twice in the corner, like a Cat or Dog ; 

 and laps up milk, when given to it, exactly in 

 a similar manner. One day when I thought it 

 thirsty, I offered it a drop of water on the end 

 of my pen, which it licked off with avidity, and 

 followed the pen when withdrawn for a fresh sup- 

 ply. In sleeping, it frequently tucks its head right 

 under its body, so as literally to rest on the 

 crown of it ; a most uncomfortable position one 

 might suppose ; but one which it seems very fond 

 of. I have never heard it squeak, or utter the 

 smallest sound since it came into my possession ; 

 which is rather remarkable. As another proof of its 

 disposition for cleanliness; I had one morning given 

 it some soft food, in eating a portion of which, it 

 rolled it in the dirt at the bottom of the cage ; on 

 discovering which, it immediately rejected it, 

 and pushing it with its snout to the furthest ex- 

 tremity of the cage, returned to its favorite 

 corner ; which it swept perfectly clean in the 

 same fashion, shoving everything aside with its 

 snout, and then went for a fresh supply. 



It is nearly, though not quite, omnivorous in 

 its appetite, as there are some things it will not 

 touch. It dislikes animal food, and shows a 

 marked preference for farinaceous substances ; 

 bread being an especial favorite. A bit of ripe 

 pear, or cooked cabbage, it will not touch, though 

 a dried fig is eaten with evident relish. — R. F. L. 



The above commentary on an animal 

 which is so universally detested, and held 

 in check by sometimes three cats in one 

 dwelling, will be read with lively curiosity. 

 Often have we silently watched these ele- 

 gantly-formed little creatures, as they played 

 prettily on the floor of our summer-house. 

 Seated at a window opposite, we have been 

 really unwilling to disturb them. One thing 

 is fatal to their being made "pets" of; and 

 that is, the offensive odor inseparable from 

 their local habitations. It is positively in- 

 jurious to health. 



We now subjoin the second extract, re- 

 ferring to — 



The Whitebait in Devonshire. 



The Whitebait (Clupea alba), is far more 

 widely known, at least by name, than many 

 other fishes of larger growth and of much more 

 important pretensions. The conspicuous part 

 which it yearly plays in the ministerial dinner 

 at Greenwich, has given to it a kind of political 

 association, and thus has sufficiently familiarised 

 it to every newspaper reader, whether naturalist 

 or not. But, however widely it may be known 

 by name, there are perhaps few of our British 

 fishes in reality less popularly known, and cer- 

 tainly none to which so circumscribed a locale 

 has till recently been assigned ; indeed, it is not 

 long since this little fish was "promoted" 

 to the rank of species, it having previously been 

 regarded simply as either the Herring or the Shad 

 in an early stage of its growth. The honor of 

 discovering its true nature is due to Mr. Yarrell. 

 A belief, in the non-naturalist world, that 

 Clupea alba is peculiar to the Thames, very 

 generally prevails, although naturalists have for 



