more. He was a tremendous " gourmand," 

 and would, after dining at home on a choice 

 dish, retire to his apartment, " make a clean 

 breast of it," go to a friend's house, and again 

 enjoy the delights of dinner. Did he find himself 

 " over weight," he would again " make a clean 

 breast of it," and get ready for supper. He was 

 however a great admirer of Nature; and many a 

 hundred times at my house lies he observed my 

 caterpillars. Now it so happened that among 

 other caterpillars were many Deilephilce Euphor- 

 bia and Cucullix Verbasci. Whether they ob- 

 served the doctor, or the doctor observed them, I 

 cannot say; but certain it is, that no honest 

 Euphorbia or Verbasci can put his hand on his 

 heart, and conscientiously avow that his gourman- 

 dise is not every bit as bad as that of the doctor. 

 They will, both, when full to repletion, disgorge 

 the contents of their stomach, and recommence 

 devouring. The question then is simply this : do 

 you think the caterpillar acquired this bad habit 

 from the doctor, or the doctor from the cater- 

 pillar? I merely state a plain fact. Let your 

 entomological friends decide which was the ori- 

 ginal offender. — Bombyx Atlas, Tottenham. 



[There are many, very many, such " Profes- 

 sors " of gluttony residing near the Mansion 

 House, but we cannot trace where they took their 

 " first lesson." They never forgot it, evidently. 

 The question raised by our friend, Bombyx, 

 about the Professor anl the Caterpillar, we 

 cannot answer. " Evil communications" no 

 doubt had their effect on both.~\ 



Tameness of the Thrush. — I intimated to you 

 in No. 29 of the Journal, that the anxiety I 

 felt for the safety of my young, unfledged 

 thrushes, was extreme. I daily eyed the tree con- 

 taining the nest, close as it was to the public road, 

 with a feeling of interest quite indescribable; 

 nor was I happy regarding their fate, until I 

 heard the joyful news of four beautiful young 

 thrushes of a cinnamon color having been seen 

 on the lawn at the rear of my house, searching 

 for food. I had little difficulty in ascertaining 

 by the movements of the papa and mamma, that 

 they were all of one happy family. At night, 

 they all returned to their nest. [This is worthy 

 of note; for it rarely indeed happens that any 

 bird returns to its nest after having once quitted 

 it] It is quite possible that the exertions of the 

 previous day had caused the young birds to take 

 their breakfast in bed. I had a full view of them 

 whilst so occupied ; and never did fond parents 

 attend more assiduously on their offspring; pro- 

 viding them with an abundance of luxuries, 

 When I left the window, all were in an active 

 state ; finishing their toilette previous to quitting 

 their cradle for the last time, and before entering 

 on the important duties of a new life. They are 

 now constant visitors on the lawn. I feel bound 

 to speak of the papa in particular. All his hap- 

 piness seems to be concentred in my garden. 

 There he sits, surrounded by his children, singing 

 all day long; and if ever bird was grateful for 

 protection, he is the bird. Long ere sun-rise, he 

 is at full matins, in the garden or orchard adjoin- 

 ing; and long after the bright luminary has sunk 

 to repose in glowing splendor, may his vespers 

 be heard, — warbled in praise of the young moon. 



Sleeping as I do with my windows open, I never 

 fail to hear his earliest morning hymn. It is 

 pleasing for me to record the fact, that the same 

 loving pair have already commenced building 

 another nest ; in a rose tree, not eight feet above 

 the ground. Here they will be less liable to a 

 surprise; and I shall again, from the back 

 window, see the same interesting performances 

 repeated, that before delighted me so much. — 

 William Spooner, New Road, Hammersmith. 



Birds inan Aviary — How to manage. — A lady, 

 the wife of a gentleman who is an acquaintance 

 of mine, has a small aviary, about four or five 

 feet square and fifteen feet high, at the end of a 

 verandah opening from the dining-room on the 

 ground floor, and leading into the garden. She 

 has kept a number of canaries, goldfinches, and 

 other birds ; and she has a room at the top of the 

 house for them to breed in, &c. Lately she has 

 observed that they suffer from bad feet; and I 

 have ventured to hope that, if I state her mode 

 of management briefly, you will prescribe for her 

 and kindly tell her in what she errs, and what 

 more is requisite. The Aviary has a wall on two 

 sides. The outside is all glass. It faces the 

 verandah, and plenty of air is admitted there- 

 from. The birds are allotted three iron perches, 

 the remainder are of wood. [They should all be 

 of wood, of a square form, and painted four times 

 over in oil.] The sand used is road sand. Their 

 food is canary and hemp [this last should be at 

 once entirely withdrawn], Groundsell is occa- 

 sionally thrown in. [Give them plenty of chick- 

 weed also.] The floor is cleansed once a week. 

 [Let it be cleansed thrice every week.] The 

 water is changed twice daily. Still, some of the 

 birds have imperfect claws, portions being broken 

 off ; and others have portions thickening. — 

 J. G., Dorchester. 



[We imagine there are too many birds allowed 

 to occupy the small space described. Else ought 

 they to thrive well. The general seed given, 

 should be canary, flax, and rape, all of the 

 newest and best. The water should be supplied 

 in a large, expansive, shallow zinc basin, fixed 

 on a stand. It might be readily emptied by 

 means of a plug at the bottom. Birds must be 

 able to wash, when in confinement, else will their 

 feet become speedily injured. The sand used 

 ought to be red gravelly sand; sifted, but not 

 finely sifted. The windows, too, should be made 

 to open, and be protected by closely-meshed 

 wire outside. Plenty of air, is in summer indis- 

 pensable. Our " Treatise on the Aviary" will 

 be re-printed, with many additions, in this 

 Journal. We cannot, at present, say when.] 



A Hint to those who love Nature. — Do let me 

 call attention, Mr. Editor, to the delights of 

 rising betimes at this season of the year. Once 

 enjoyed, their repetition would be a matter of 

 course. The break of day, during the past week, 

 (in which Ave have been visited with tropical 

 heat), has been an object of intense interest: one 

 morning especially presented a scene of trans - 

 cendant beauty. Looking out from the window, 

 a little before sunrise, upon the extensive land- 

 scape that lays on the north side of my dwelling, 

 I beheld the various objects, far and near, lighted 



