KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



75 



do with my birds' melancholy? I have removed 

 some of them ; but they return, and increase in 

 quantity. I may err, but my birds seem to lose 

 flesh. I dare say, you already comprehend the 

 cause of my unhappiness. If I say more, I may 

 perhaps perplex you. In return for your kind- 

 ness, I will offer you (not what some of your fair 

 readers have done, — that is not at my disposal, 

 but) my best thanks. — Clorinda. 



[You have done well, gentle Clorinda, in 

 consulting us betimes. Your birds may be restored 

 to their former cheerfulness and health, if you 

 listen to what we have to say. Their cages are 

 infested with what we call Thugs. These are 

 minute vermin, who find a local habitation in the 

 interstices of the cages. Here they lie concealed 

 for the most part during the day ; coming forth 

 at night and revelling in the skin of your darling 

 birds, whose blood is drained from them, little 

 by little, till they die from exhaustion. How 

 many a fine bird has thus perished; his fond 

 mistress guessing every cause but the true one! 

 "We have laid bare the wound. Now for the 

 remedy. Procure new cages immediately, and 

 burn the old ones — unhesitatingly and remorse- 

 lessly burn them. If you hesitate, you deserve 

 what you meet with. We never yet knew any 

 cages which were " cleansed " with turpentine, 

 &c, &c, to answer. The enemy must be an- 

 nihilated by fire, and his fastnesses must be 

 similarly destroyed. And here let us say that no 

 cages should ever be adopted by families, unless 

 they be made of mahogany. These act as a safe- 

 guard to their inmates ; but deal in any form, 

 whether painted or stained, fosters, breeds, and 

 shelters the enemy. Let your cages be made 

 precisely on the model recommended in our 

 " Treatise on the Canary " (see Index to vol. 1), 

 with wire in front only. In these cages your 

 birds will be happy, and need dread no invasion 

 by their deadly foes. Now for further instruc- 

 tions. Examine your dear little birds affection- 

 ately; and with the point of a long and fine 

 needle, displace any of the vermin you may see 

 on their skin or in their feathers. Let them fly 

 about the room for several hours, and give them 

 a saucer full of cold water, placed on a table 

 where the sun has entrance. In this they will 

 disport for some time, and soon rout any of the 

 skulking villains whom your eye may have over- 

 looked. When placed in their new habitation, 

 feed them on bread and egg, in addition to their 

 seed; and also give them a little raw, lean steak, 

 carefully scraped. Some sponge cake also will 

 be a treat ; and part of the heart of a juicy lettuce. 

 When all this has been done, Clorinda, com- 

 municate with us again, and tell us what progress 

 your birds are making. Do not imagine that we 

 have exaggerated in what we have said about 

 the vermin. Did you but know what a terror 

 they inspire in the heart of their victims, your 

 affectionate heart would bleed for them.l 



A Kangaroo Hunt in Australia. — Not to be 

 behind-hand with other kind associates of yours, 

 my dear Mr. Editor, I send you the particulars 

 of a kangaroo hunt, which I have transcribed for 

 the Public's " Own Journal " from Col. Mundell's 

 " Residence and Rambles in the Australian 



Colonies." The springs which these animals 

 take, when pursued, are astonishing! — "The 

 kangaroo, which was feeding in a patch of long 

 grass, jumped up under our horses' feet, and at 

 first going off, looked very much like a red-deer 

 hind. Its action was less smooth though equally 

 swift; but no one could have guessed that it con- 

 sisted only of a series of jumps, the fore-feet never 

 touching the ground. A shrill tallyho from one 

 of the finest riders I ever saw, made all the dogs 

 spring into the air. Two of them got away on 

 pretty good terms with our quarry, and, while 

 facing the hill at a pace considerably greater than 

 an ordinary hunting gallop, I thought we should 

 have had a "whoo — whoop " in less than five 

 minutes. After crossing a ridge, and commencing 

 the descent on the opposite side, however, the 

 red-flyer showed us quite ' another pair of shoes,' 

 and a pretty fast pair too. I never saw a stag 

 in view go at all like our two-legged friend; and, 

 in short, after a sharp burst of twelve or fourteen 

 minutes, both dogs and men were fairly distanced. 

 In about half that time, I had lost my place by 

 riding at full speed into the fork of a fallen tree 

 concealed in long grass, a predicament out of 

 which there is only one means of extrication, 

 namely, retreat; for cavalry has no chance 

 against a good abattis. The Australian gentle- 

 men present, rode with snaffle bridles pretty 

 nearly at full speed, through, under, or over the 

 forest trees, according to their position, standing 

 or prostrate — the great art being, it should seem, 

 to leave the horse as much as possible to his own 

 guidance. On the whole, taking into considera- 

 tion the hardness of the ground, the stump-holes, 

 sun-cracks, and fissures caused by water, the 

 stiffness of the underwood, and the frequency of 

 the trees, living, dying, and dead, burnt and 

 burning, the riding in a kangaroo hunt may be 

 considered tolerably dangerous. It affords, in 

 short, to England's manhood that quantum of 

 risk which seems to form the chief seasoning of 

 the,dish called sport. In a good run with fox- 

 hounds your person, on a race-course your purse, 

 are just sufficiently jeopardised to promote a 

 pleasing degree of excitement. I think I perceive 

 the reason why the animal always, if possible, 

 takes a down-hill course when pursued. The 

 hare, which, like the kangaroo, has very long 

 hind legs, prefers running up-hill, but she makes 

 good use also of her fore legs. At full speed, the 

 kangaroo's fore feet, as I have said, never touch 

 the ground, and therefore, in going down hill, 

 he has more time to gather up his hinder limbs 

 to repeat his tremendous spring, than he could 

 have in facing an ascent. I wish I had had time 

 to measure the stroke of the ' red-flyer ' we 

 chased to-day, when at his best pace. I am con- 

 vinced he would have equalled the well-known 

 stride of the great ' Eclipse.' " — This book 

 was written some time since. I apprehend 

 " the run " now is not upon kangaroos, but on 

 gold. So far so good: it gives time for the poor 

 animals to enjoy themselves, safe from pursuit. — 

 Susanna T. 



Which are the best Canaries, German or 

 English? — I want a really good canary, Mr. 

 Editor, one with a fine song. Are the English 

 or foreign preferable? and which are the most 



