KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



155 



nearly so, underground; for out of news of 

 dozens, I have heard there are no pendent ones. 

 A nest by a roadside attracted our attention by 

 the enormous influx and egress of workers, which 

 were seemingly quite as numerous as those of a 

 flourishing bee-hive. So we sallied out by night — 

 a band of ruthless murderers, intent upon its 

 destruction. Sulphur was set on fire, and then 

 poured down the entrance. A spade then laid 

 bare the nest, and we found the wasps lying 

 stupified in hundreds. Straw was next laid over 

 the nest, and being fired, soon scorched the wings 

 and bodies of the luckless inhabitants. This nest 

 occupied a hole at least a foot in diameter each 

 way. No wonder the wasps were numerous. 

 Dissipation, however, spared many. Those wasps 

 that were under the gooseberry trees, as drunk 

 as pigs, or gentlemen, so "fou " that they could 

 neither stand nor walk, did not " come home till 

 morning," and so saved their vespine bacon. 

 However, to make the best of a bad job, they set 

 resolutely about repairing, or rather renewing, 

 their ruined home ; and succeeded so well, that 

 they have again, I believe, a flourishing colony. 

 To-day I observed a fact which I have before 

 read of, but never seen. Numbers of the com- 

 mon blow or meat fly were buzzing in and 

 around an empty sugar-barrel. A wasp flew up, 

 and instantly seized a fly. Whether or not he 

 used his sting I cannot say, but the fly seemed 

 almost instantaneously deprived of life. The 

 wasp now proceeded leisurely to cut off the legs 

 and wings on either side of the body. During 

 this operation, I distinctly heard the noise made 

 by its mandible, much resembling the working 

 of a pair of scissors on paper. Having disposed 

 of these, it advanced its mandibles to the slender 

 waist, and by repeated, and as far as I could 

 judge, straining efforts, succeeded in separating 

 the abdomen from the body. It now balanced 

 the body to its satisfaction, and departed with it ; 

 whether to satisfy its own craving, or for the 

 sustenance of the young brood, I know not. I 

 saw another wasp which had seized a fly, and 

 was proceeding like the first, till disturbed. The 

 wasp then, for some special purpose, either his 

 own use or that of his young, prefers the juices 

 of a fly's body to sugar. — J. B. Murdoch, Glas- 

 gow. 



[Dr. Darwin records some very curious par- 

 ticulars of the ingenuity of wasps, in his "Jour- 

 nal." We shall take occasion to introduce these 

 at a no distant period.] 



Nightingale — Inquiry about a. — I live, Mr. Edi- 

 tor, in a small town in Wales, where the voice of 

 the nightingale is never heard, although we have 

 all kinds of other songsters in abundance. Your 

 little gem of a Journal, to which I have been a 

 subscriber from its birth, I get regularly. [What 

 a wonder is this ! a solitary instance of its ever 

 being received "regularly" by anybody!] In 

 it you have sung so sweetly about this king of 

 birds, that I really must possess one. Where can 

 I get one, and at what price? [Call on Mr. 

 Clifford, 24, Great St. Andrew St.. Holborn, 

 and use the name of " Our Journal." It will 

 procure you a good bird at a reasonable cost, 

 not exceeding ten shillings.] I shall be in town 

 very soon, and I want to be " knowing " in the 



matter. We have not a single " butchers' shop " 

 in our small town ! How then about the fresh 

 beef " twice daily? " Is there no means of pro- 

 viding a substitute? [Mr. Clifford may perhaps 

 have, when you call upon him, a young night- 

 ingale that has been fed off on German paste, or 

 bullocks' liver. Let us hope so.] The bullocks' 

 liver you recommend, I can procure here once 

 weekly, in its raw state. How can I prepare it, 

 so as to get the " nut?" [The nut is a particular 

 part of the liver, which the person of whom you 

 purchase it will point out. It is hard, and 

 scrapes well, when boiled. Liver, at this season, 

 will keep good for a week, if placed in a good 

 place. Mr. Clifford will answer you a host of 

 minor questions. We see your heart is " set " 

 upon a nightingale; and we shall give Clifford 

 " a hint " about your wishes. Write to him your- 

 self — why not?] Pray excuse all the trouble I 

 have given you; but your "good-nature" is 

 alone to blame. — T. I. W., Haverfordwest. 



Characteristics of the Malay Fowl. — All these 

 birds, Mr. Editor, should be large and heavy; 

 those of the purest breed are so compact and 

 close-feathered, that the weight is greater than 

 any one would imagine from only looking at 

 them. They stand very tall, and have an up- 

 right gait ; the neck is rope-like, with no hackle ; 

 the legs are long, and remarkably long, strong 

 and firm in the thigh; the shaft of the leg should 

 be of moderate length, round, stout, and yellow; 

 tail drooping — the more it droops the better; the 

 head is snake-shaped, so much flattened on the 

 top that it quite overhangs the eye ; comb broad, 

 and almost flat to the head , a pearl eye ; hawk 

 bill, in color agreeing with the bird's plumage, 

 a dark bill to a light bird is ugly. Their pro- 

 pensity for fighting is too well known to need 

 much mention. They will fight with a shadow, 

 and no other bird is safe within their range. 

 The hens are very indifferent layers; they lay a 

 medium-sized egg with tinted shell. The 

 chickens, when half-grown, are gaunt, ungainly- 

 looking young things, and, like most choice 

 kinds, feather very slowly. — A. B. 



Pigeon- Clubs for Training. — I am told, Mr. 

 Editor, that in the neighborhood of King's Cross, 

 there are some " Clubs " established for the en- 

 couragement of pigeon-training — prizes being 

 awarded to the most successful competitors. Do 

 you know anything about them? If not, perhaps 

 some of your many readers can give me the 

 particulars. Training is an interesting process ; 

 and as it is by no means cruel, the details will 

 be read with a general feeling of pleasure. — 

 Columba, Richmond, Surrey. 



Humanity to Bees, — Chloroform. — Mr. Editor, 

 being a constant reader of your interesting 

 Paper, I see that all your correspondents aim at 

 the same humane end. Allow me, therefore, to 

 make known to the world, but more especially to 

 apiarians, through the opportune medium of our 

 Own Journal (whilst it is yet time to prevent 

 the unnecessary death of thousands of innocent 

 creatures) that chloroform may be used as success- 

 fully in taking " honey from bees," as in the 

 amputation of a leg. An eminent doctor of me- 



