KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



319 



pennyworth of meat among two cats and perhaps 

 as many dogs, we say let them — if they can. But 

 they shall not sponge upon us, to make up for an 

 empty stomach on our grounds. Oh no !] 



Singular Case of Poisoning at Stettin. — Not 

 long since, a gentleman, who had a number of 

 stuffed birds in his study, covered them with 

 arsenic to secure their preservation. Soon after- 

 wards he became seriously indisposed, without 

 being able to assign any cause for illness ; until it 

 was discovered by a physician whom he consulted 

 at Berlin, that he had, from constant residence in 

 the study, absorbed the deadly poison, with which 

 his system became gradually impregnated. — W. T. 



[This should act as a caution to persons using 

 stearine, and other candles ; in the manufacture of 

 which arsenic is employed.] 



The Hydrograph. — Will any one of your readers 

 be so kind as to give me some information respecting 

 this instrument ? It is a Scotch invention, and I 

 was first told of it about twelve months since. I 

 have been vainly looking to see or hear more of it. 

 I particularly wish to know where, and at what 

 cost, one can be procured ? also, if the instrument 

 is adapted for enlarging as well as reducing draw- 

 ings? Another point is, — are the drawings so 

 taken necessarily reversed ? — Puss. 



The "Roller " Bird. — On Wednesday last, says 

 the Editor of the Liverpool Mercury (May 17), a 

 very fine specimen of that rare bird, the Roller 

 (Coracias garrula), was shot near Knotty Ash. 

 The bird is now in the possession of Mr. James 

 Mather, naturalist, Williamson Square, who has 

 purchased it to add to his collection. It is one of 

 the most beautiful European birds ; its head, neck, 

 and breast, presenting various shades of verditer 

 blue, changing to pale green ; the shoulders are 

 azure blue. The Roller has a wide range of country. 

 By some naturalists it is regarded as among the 

 birds of Africa. It is very rarely seen in Britain ; 

 but it has been captured occasionally in a few 

 counties of England, and also in Scotland. — 

 F. Birch. 



Sow can I remove Heat Marks from the Surface 

 of a French-Polished Table ? — I have had the 

 misfortune, Mr. Editor, to disfigure the top of a 

 handsome table, French-polished, by placing on it 

 some hot plates. Vainly have I tried to remove 

 the marks. They remain, apparently indelible. 

 Can any of your readers kindly assist me, by 

 pointing out a remedy for the removal of these foul 

 blots? — Frank Freely. 



[We imagine, by what you state, that the marks 

 must be deeply indented. In such a case, the top 

 of the table must, we fear, be scraped afresh, and 

 polished anew. This, if the table be a large one, 

 would be a heavy expense to incur. However, 

 wait one little month, and see if any better mode 

 can be proposed.] 



Smiles. — Nobody who reads our Journal can 

 doubt Our Editor's thoughts about smiles, — those 

 illuminations of the heart reflected glowingly on 

 the face. A smile costs no effort ; yet how eloquent 

 its meaning, — how delightful the impression it 

 conveys ! Sam Slick joins in the feeling ; and, 



whilst putting his paw upon the deceitful and cold 

 smile, he pleads powerfully for the honest smiles of 

 friendship, encouragement, and love. The sub- 

 joined is from his " Wise Saws : " — " Oh ! what a 

 sight there is in that word — smile ; for it changes 

 color like a chameleon. There's a vacant smile, 

 a cold smile, a satiric smile, a smile of hate, an 

 affected smile, a smile of approbation, a friendly 

 smile, but above all a ' smile of love.' A woman 

 has two smiles that an angel might envy, — the 

 smile that accepts the lover before words are 

 uttered ; and the smile that lights on the first-born 

 baby, and assures him of a mother's love." — Is not 

 this prettily expressed, Mr. Editor? And how 

 correctly characterised are the world's smiles ! 

 But what have they to do with us ? — Gossamer, 

 Henley. 



[Yes, gentle fairy, the thought is prettily ex- 

 pressed ; and the sentiment is worthy of the writer. 

 Albeit Sam Slick is a droll fellow, his heart is in 

 the right place. We quite agree with you in your 

 remarks ; and shall cultivate such smiles only as 

 become the human face, and reflect honor on the 

 human heart. This is " the " season for perpetual 

 smiles of love and friendship. Let us enjoy it !] 



The Advantages of — {what silly people call) — 

 " Vermin.^ — I have a plantation of larch, which 

 has been entirely underset with oaks by magpies 

 and jays ; these oaks will come into use, and be of 

 some size when the larches are cut down ; and be 

 much hardier than any planted by hand among the 

 larch. — Ornithophilos. 



A Costly Nest. — A pair of missel-thrushes, we 

 are told by the Leicester Journal, recently built 

 their nest in a cedar tree, located in the pleasure- 

 grounds of Earl Manvers, Thoresby Park. It 

 appears that the household linen was being bleached 

 in the sun, and that the variety offered was too 

 tempting to be resisted. Accordingly a lady's cap 

 was selected to begin with. Then followed a collar, 

 a habit-shirt, and some lace. These, combined with 

 twigs and moss, enabled the happy pair to build a 

 tidy habitation. But not being able to interweave 

 the habit-shirt with the other materials, an end 

 sticking out betrayed the whereabout of the thieves. 

 The nest was found. In it were two eggs. I 

 regret to tell vou that it was torn out of its resting 

 place, and sent to London as a curiosity ! No doubt 

 the poor thrushes have forsaken these grounds. I 

 hope so. What with robbers, guns, traps, and 

 poison, our poor little vernal choristers are brutally 

 treated, whilst attempting to share our hospitality ! 

 — Violet, Worcester. 



The Natural History of Australia — I hear, 

 Mr. Editor, that Dr. Harvey, of Trinity College, 

 Dublin, is about to visit Australia, under the joint 

 auspices of the University and of the Royal Dublin 

 Society, for the purpose of exploring the natural 

 history, and especially the seaweeds of the southern 

 coasts of that continent. The Australian shores 

 are well known to be rich in varied and curious 

 forms, but as yet they have been very imperfectly 

 explored ; naturalists and collectors who have 

 hitherto visited Australia having chiefly attended 

 to other departments. Dr. Harvey will therefore, 

 let us hope, reap an abundant harvest of new and 

 beautiful species, particularly among the more 



