KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



45 



The Wheatear. — Is it migratory? — Will you 

 be so obliging, Mr. Editor, as to inform me if 

 the Wheatear is a migratory bird? I have heard 

 it disputed. I shall be glad to know, as I have 

 myself dared to say it does migrate. — 

 Felicia. 



[Yes; the Wheatear (Saxicola (Enanthe) is 

 a bird of passage. In the summer months, it 

 abounds all over Europe. It arrives in our la- 

 titudes about the middle of March, and tarries 

 with us till October. It is a handsome bird, but 

 very wild and shy. Its favorite haunts are the 

 Downs of Sussex, Kent, and Dorsetshire. Near 

 Eastbourne, we have counted them by thousands. 

 They are killed for their flesh. Bon-vivants 

 reckon them a dainty.] 



The New Planet. — Allow me, Mr. Editor, to 

 inform you, that on the night., of June 24, at 

 1 2h. 30m., I discovered another new planet on 

 the borders of the constellations Aquila and 

 Serpens, about five degrees east of the star Tau 

 in Ophiuchus. It shines as a fine star of between 

 the eighth and ninth magnitudes, and has a very 

 steady yellow light. At moments, it appeared 

 to have a disc; but the night was not suffi- 

 ciently favorable for high magnifiers. At 13h. 

 13m. 16s., mean time, its right ascension was 

 18h. 12m. 58'8s; and its north polar distance 

 98 deg. 16m. 0-9s. The diurnal motion in r. a. 

 is about lm. 2s. towards the west, and in n. p. d. 

 two or three minutes towards the south. This 

 beautiful little planet is the fifth discovered 

 during our systematic examination of the 

 zodiacal heaven. — Yours faithfully, J. E. Hind, 

 Mr. Bishop's Observatory, Regent's Park. 



Gentlemen's Hats. — I think, Mr. Editor, you 

 will readily oblige me by inserting the following 

 seasonable remarks from the pen of the editor of 

 the " Cork Examiner." Our heads will soon be 

 " fried alive" by the sun; and what a " pro- 

 tector" is our present covering! I should add, 

 that the subjoined observations are made in a 

 notice of the " National Exhibition," now open 

 in the chief city of Munster. — " We much wish 

 the many makers of hats, metropolitan and pro- 

 vincial, who so well occupy a large space in this 

 transept, would produce something amongst them 

 which might rid us of the peculiarly stiff, uncom- 

 fortable, and ungraceful style of head-piece 

 which custom compels us at present to endure. 

 Unanimous as the public are, and have long 

 been in their complaints, and even groans at our 

 present hat, which by a rare and happy com- 

 bination unites almost the extremes of weight, 

 ungainliness, and fragility, it still seems likely to 

 live. Once it was fondly hoped that the 

 ' Great Exhibition' might have recorded its 

 doom; but, on the contrary, it seems to have 

 rather given it a new charter and muniment of 

 existence. Truly ' when burning June (only 

 luckily in thaf respect the present month does not 

 happen to be of the ' melting mood') waves its 

 red flag,' one feels almost inclined to follow the 

 example of Byron's Sardanapalus, who casts his 

 helmet away altogether, and rushes forth bare- 

 headed rather than have his brow encumbered 

 with its ponderous shapelessness. Certainly the 

 exhibitor who shall contrive some fitting sub- 



stitute, would well deserve of his country the 

 appropriate tribute of a laurel crown." Is it not 

 singular, that of modern inventors not one i« 

 clever enough to invent any light and neat orna- 

 ment for a man's head, — protecting him at the 

 same time from wind and weather? — Hopeless, 

 Sunning-hill. 



["A reward" should be offered by Govern- 

 ment for a new hat. Money goes a great way 

 in these matters; as for ourselves, we generally 

 walk with our " hat in our hand!"] 



Prize Babbits — In the very interesting Report 

 you gave us of the " Metropolitan Rabbit Club," 

 whose meeting has been recently held (see p. 15)> 

 you promised to procure from the Chairman a 

 List of " full particulars." Are you going to 

 publish them in the Journal — or not? I am one 

 of many who feel greatly interested in the sub- 

 ject. — An Amateur, Dorking. 



[We have obtained the List referred to; and a 

 most interesting document it is. It is too long 

 for publication ; but we have left it at our Pub- 

 lisher's, where it may at any time be inspected by 

 the readers of " our Journal."] 



BIRDS OF SONG. 



Give me but 

 Something whereunto I may bind my heart, 

 Something to love, to rest upon, — to clasp 

 Affection's tendrils round. Mrs. Hemans. 



No. XIX.— THE NIGHTINGALE. 



Another very needful caution, at 

 this season, with respect to Nightingales, 

 is, — never to let them hang up in the 

 vicinity of fresh paint. Some years since, 

 our house was undergoing repair ; and 

 amongst other workmen, the painters were 

 actively employed. In a thoughtless moment, 

 we suffered our birds to remain out as usual ; 

 but we were signally punished for our folly. 

 The white-lead had acted fatally in one short 

 day, upon the lungs of two very choice song- 

 sters. On the following morning they were 

 dead ! This was dearly-bought experience ; 

 for our heart was chained to these most 

 affectionate little creatures. Nor was theirs 

 less so to us. 



Few persons can be aware of the delicacy 

 of lungs peculiar to the summer warblers. 

 Large numbers of them perish from the 

 ignorance prevailing on this matter. Thus, 

 these tender little fellows are often domiciled 

 in the winter, in a hot, close apartment, with 

 a raging fire, and sudden draught, alternating. 

 Or, in summer, they are hung in a closely- 

 confined bed-chamber, ready for being put 

 outside the window the first thing in the 

 morning. In this latter case, the carbon 

 evolved by the sleepers in the apartment 

 very often materially injures the bird, whose 

 health can never afterwards be restored. 

 Let it ever be remembered, that birds and 

 plants want as much attention as ourselves 



I 



