KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



309 



ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE, 



The Emperor Moth. — I have been much struck 

 by the remarkable fact, recorded in your last by 

 " Puss," in connection with this moth. It 

 puzzles me, quite as much as it does the other 

 entomologists spoken of by your correspondent : 

 I must confess I never before met with a similar 

 circumstance. It is not a very uncommon thing 

 among the " Bombyx tribe," for two caterpillars to 

 envelop themselves in one common covering : that 

 is, the two caterpillars will make one large cocoon, 

 and at the proper period, out of this one cocoon 

 two moths will appear. But then, the chrysalides 

 of the two moths are to be found. This has oc- 

 curred to myself more than once. That two moths 

 should proceed from one single chrysalis is most 

 remarkable ; and I certainly have never witnessed 

 anything of the kind. I hope " Puss"has preserved 

 both the chrysalis and the cocoon ; as also both 

 of the moths. They would be very pleasing me- 

 mentoes of a very curious fact. I always preserve 

 specimens of the chrysalides, the cocoons, and the 

 eggs ; and have quite an interesting collection of 

 this kind ; indeed, many cases full of them. It is 

 very interesting either for reference or comparison. 

 I trust that " Puss" is not going to abandon the de- 

 lightful and interesting study of the insect world ; 

 and I hope that she will continue to watch closely 

 their singular changes and transformations. 

 There is scarcely any study which is more grati- 

 fying to a contemplative mind. — Bombyx Atlas. 



[Had the circumstances connected with this 

 ■" Emperor Moth" been communicated to us by a 

 party unknown to us, we should have hesitated 

 before we gave them insertion. But the veracity 

 of " Puss" is far beyond suspicion. Her regard 

 for truth, rules every action of her life. So pure a 

 lover of nature is she, and so very close an observer 

 of all that is interesting in the animal, vegetable, 

 and mineral kingdoms, that her conscience would 

 be wounded were she to over-color or exaggerate 

 any simple facts that might present themselves. 

 The freaks of nature are sometimes very puzzling, 

 and quite defy any attempt at explanation. This 

 is evidently one of them. We feel these few ob- 

 servations to be called for, under the circum- 

 stances.] 



Canaries " sitting " whilst travelling by Hail, 

 dc. — In the Spring of 1850, I had occasion to 

 move from Dawlish to Kingsbridge, a pair of 

 canary birds. This was at a time when the hen 

 was sitting on four eggs. The first part of the 

 journey was performed by railway ; the last nine 

 miles by coach, or rather omnibus, over a rough 

 hilly road. The cage containing my little pets 

 rested on the lap of one or other of the party 

 during the journey ; but you may imagine I had 

 little hope that the eggs would remain uninjured. 

 However, the birds were tame ; and being in well- 

 known company, the little hen sat closely the 

 whole time, and when she had been one week at 

 Kingsbridge became the happy mother of three 

 fine birds, all of which throve nicely. One I have 

 now, amongst twenty others ; but, strange to say, 

 when about a year old, she lost one eye, without 

 any apparent cause. The eye has sunk, and the 

 lid is closed over it. The father of this bird lost 

 an eye whilst suffering from a severe illness (this 



was during the summer before the canary I speak 

 of was hatched) . Does this one misfortune in any 

 way account for the other? — A Clergyman's 

 Wife. 



[Severe cold, arising from an exposure to 

 draught, no doubt caused both these misfortunes.] 



Hempseed as Food for Goldfinches. — The pre- 

 siding goddess of my home, says, Mr. Editor, that 

 much as she relishes and enjoys your articles on 

 song-birds, — yet must she demur to your dictum 

 with respect to the sparing use of hempseed. She 

 has a very favorite goldfinch, which was reared 

 in a cage ; he has lived in it six years at least, 

 and during the whole time has been fed upon 

 hempseed and green food alone. Nor will he eat 

 anything else, although often tried in accordance 

 with your recommendations. He is a first-rate 

 songster, " toujours heureux, toujours gai," and 

 has always enjoyed most excellent health. How 

 do you account for this ? Will this one instance 

 at all affect your general advice, or do you consider 

 it an exception to the general rule ? — John Gar- 

 land, Dorchester. 



[Hempseed is always objectionable when its use 

 can be dispensed with. It assists in shortening 

 the lives of all birds. Yet is it beneficial at 

 certain times, used in homoeopathic combination 

 with canary, flax, and rape. It is moreover fatal 

 to the fine, gaudy plumage of a goldfinch ; or the 

 rich color of a bullfinch. It makes the latter 

 quite a clingy brown. We still adhere to our 

 principles ; and would always recommend the 

 general use of the three seeds mentioned, excluding 

 hempseed, except as a medicine. In this case, as 

 the bird is hearty, it would be unwise to change 

 his diet. Yet is hempseed far too heating for 

 summer food. A little egg and sponge-cake 

 should be occasionally given as a treat, and the 

 bird should be allowed a bath daily.] 



The Chemistry of Nature. — An attentive 

 observer of nature must often be struck with 

 surprise, when he sees the indifference with 

 which the majority of mankind pass by her won- 

 derful changes. To these, the most inexplicable 

 performances of so-called magicians bear no com- 

 parison ; and it may perhaps be interesting to the 

 readers of our Journal, to note one or two of 

 the most remarkable in plants and animals. It 

 will undoubtedly astonish many, to be told that 

 the great fabric of the animal and vegetable king- 

 doms which meet our eye, have been built up en- 

 tirely from gases and water ; and these, in most 

 cases, colorless. Even the brown and solid trunks 

 of gigantic forest trees, which have stood the 

 shock of ages, were composed originally of sub- 

 stances, as apparently immaterial. This, although 

 strange, is true ; for plants derive nourishment ex- 

 clusively from gaseous and liquid products, no 

 solid probably being ever absorbed. Animals 

 subsist chiefly on the organised tissues of plants, 

 or on each other. The four chief nutritive bodies 

 required by plants, are — carbon, hydrogen, nitro- 

 gen, and oxygen ; and these must be in a certain 

 state of alteration or modification ; as in air, car- 

 bonic acid, ammonia, &c. These gaseous bodies 

 are mostly dissolved by the rain, in its passage 

 downwards to the earth ; and there absorbed by 

 the fibrill <e of the roots. In the minute cells of 



