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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



from natural causes. That such a thing might 

 happen from accident is possible, but only pos- 

 sible. So now, my dear little Bo-peep, make 

 yourself as pretty as you can, and as winning too ; 

 and I think you will succeed in becoming the pet 

 of the family. My brother, sister, and all my 

 family, unite in sympathetic love to you ; and 

 believe me ever most affectionately yours, — 

 Downy. 



Notes on the Singularities of Birds. — It is very 

 amusing, Mr. Editor, to watch the " expanding in- 

 tellects " of young birds, who show at a very early 

 age that they will learn something. I once had half 

 a dozen nests of young birds in one cage — consisting 

 of missel thrushes, linnets, greenfinches, chaf- 

 finches, and blackbirds. Not one of them could 

 peck save a yourg thrush, whom I put in when 

 about a week older than the others. On feeding 

 them one morning, this bird carried off a piece of 

 food and dropped it near a chaffinch. The latter 

 caught at it and swallowed it. This rather 

 " queered " the thrush ; but he obtained another 

 piece, and conveyed it to the same spot. It shared 

 the same fate as the last ; this must have tickled 

 his fancy, for he deliberately brought it some more 

 food and offered it ; persevering till it was cram- 

 med. You can judge how astonished I felt, when, 

 on the young bird refusing to have any more, he 

 brought food to another one, and then to all the 

 rest ! He continued to perform the self-imposed 

 duty every day , occupying the whole of his time, 

 and seeming quite distressed when none of them 

 would eat. He taught them too to peck, in " no 

 time." It was quite ludicrous to observe how 

 puzzled he was to understand why the linnets 

 should refuse a long worm, which to him seemed 

 an especial delicacy. But he was a true philoso- 

 pher ; and after the worm had gone a-begging all 

 round, he took up something else, and indeed 

 everything in the form of food that he could get. 

 — R. B., Winchester. 



The Cuckoo. — Do, please, just announce the fact 

 of the cuckoo being heard in our neighborhood 

 to-day, for the first time. His refreshing notes 

 have made us all so joyful in anticipation of the 

 coming season ! — Sweetbeiak, Worcester. 



[His arrival at this date has been pretty general, 

 we are told, in those places which he usually glad- 

 dens with his presence. We agree with you, that 

 his musical notes are refreshing. Our garden is 

 his home.] 



The Cricket. — I am so delighted, Mr. Editor, 

 with the tone of your charming periodical, that I 

 think it a duty to contribute whatever may tend to 

 amuse and instruct your readers. Some may smile 

 at the idea of a tame cricket ; hut we have had 

 two tame ones. The first was a solitary bachelor, 

 who came out regularly at night to be fed ; retiring 

 with sufficient crumbs for his morning meal. Find- 

 ing himself noticed, he soon grew very familiar, and 

 became our constant guest. In due time he fell 

 in love ; and in the natural course of events, united 

 his fate — not to a fair partner, but to one of a caste 

 dark as his own. Both grew quite familiar, and 

 visited us constantly. If I were to relate to you half 

 their contrivances to carry away what they could not 

 eat, you would scarcely credit my tale. However, 

 true it is, there was a mutual friendship established 



between us all. I should remark that u Tom's 

 wife," as we christened the female cricket, grew 

 jealous, and eloped. Whether " Tom " pined or 

 not I cannot say ; but his sudden disappearance 

 led to the belief that he might have died broken- 

 hearted ! — F. B., Liverpool. 



[Are we personally known to this contributor ? 

 Our mind seems to incline towards that belief; 

 although it is not her hand-writing that induces 

 us to ask the question. We do not recognise the 

 caligraphy ; but we do the sentiment.] 



On Timing Birds. — I much prefer your method 

 of taming birds to that adopted and recommended 

 by your correspondent, "Alpha." The starving of 

 birds to make them " love" you is heterodox, and 

 quite foreign to the amiable principles which rule 

 our Journal. As you say — to " love for love's 

 sake" is Heaven upon earth. The starvation svs- 

 tem is unnatural, and therefore objectionable ; so 

 let us, if you please, keep true to our principles. 

 — Puss. 



[You are quite right, Puss-y ; but as we are 

 liberal, we never muzzle our contributors. Bech- 

 stein gave "Alpha" the hint. We do not like 

 Bechstein's hook, — never did, — never shall. The 

 woodcuts it contains of birds and cages are well 

 enough ; but it is not at all adapted for the use 

 of people who love birds. Neither is it prac- 

 tically useful. It has circulated, simply because 

 there was no other competitor. Children have it 

 in the nursery, as " a picture-book of Birds." It 

 amuses them, and keeps them out of mischief. 

 Beyond this, it has no real value.] 



The Stereoscope, as applied to Miniatures. — In 

 your number for January, you gave some very 

 interesting particulars about the Miniature Like- 

 nesses taken " in relief," by Mr. Mayall, of 224, 

 Regent Street ; resembling, when so taken, cameo 

 busts. May I ask if the cost is moderate ? — 

 Rebecca J., Dundee. 



[The whole apparatus, including the portrait, 

 may be had from forty-two shillings upwards. You 

 say in your note that you are coming shortly to 

 London. You will then be able to see a variety of 

 specimens, and their effects.] 



The Piranha Fish. — This fish, which contends 

 for the dominion of the waters of the Brazilian 

 portion of South America, is one of terrible 

 voracity ; there is hardly any animal that ventures 

 into the water but what suffers from its attacks. 

 The victim of the piranha is generally sur- 

 rounded by large shoals or swarms of them ; 

 they may be justly compared to a nest of water 

 hornets. Horses and cattle do not venture to 

 drink of the water below the surface, lest their 

 snout should be bitten off — an accident which, 

 however, sometimes befalls them. The cayman 

 himself is forced to fly before this terrible enemy, 

 and turns his unprotected belly towards the top 

 of the water : the otter alone, whose hairy skin 

 deadens the force of the bite, is proof against 

 their attacks. — Wilson. 



A Little Secret. — If you would " overcome 

 mountains " (we have done so) — work hard ; 

 trust to Providence ; and reckon nothing to be 

 impossible. 



