KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



221 



diligent — she loses nothing. For were any par- 

 ticle of matter absolutely to become lost, bodies 

 would lose their connection with each other, and 

 a link in the grand chain be dropped. Besides, so 

 delicately is this globe balanced, that an annihi- 

 lation of the smallest particle would throw it 

 totally out of its sphere in the universe. From 

 the beginning of time, not one atom in the in- 

 finite divisibility of matter has been lost; not the 

 minutest particle of what we denominate element ; 

 nor one deed, word, or thought, of any of his 

 creations have ever once escaped the knowledge, 

 nor will ever escape the memory of the Eternal 

 Mind —that exalted and electric Mind which 

 knows no past, and calculates no future! We 

 hear this, we read this, we see this, daily ; yet, do 

 we not all live as if we were blind and indiffc- 

 rentto its importance and sublimity? — Miranda. 



Entomology ; the late Mr, Kirby. — When a man 

 excels in anything, Mr. Editor, it must always 

 be of some consequence to know what were his 

 habits; and what external means he employed, 

 in connection with his particular gift. His 

 friend, Mr. Spence, says — " There were two cir- 

 cumstances in Mr. Kirby's study of insects, by 

 which I was always forcibly struck on my visits 

 to him at Barham. The first was, the little 

 parade of apparatus with which his extensive 

 and valuable acquisitions were made. If going 

 to any distance, he would put into his pocket a 

 forceps-net and small water-net, with which to 

 catch bees, flies, and aquatic insects; but, in 

 general, I do not remember to have seen him use 

 a net of any other description. His numerous 

 captures of rare and new Coleoptera were mostly 

 made by carefully searching for them in their 

 haunts, from which — if trees, shrubs, or long 

 grass, &c. y he would beat them with his walking 

 stick into a newspaper; and, collected in this 

 way, he would bring home in a few small phials 

 in his waistcoat pockets, and in a moderate-sized 

 collecting-box, after an afternoon's excursion, a 

 booty often much richer than his companions had 

 secured with their more elaborate apparatus. The 

 second circumstance in Mr. Kirby's study of 

 insects, to which I allude, was the deliberate and 

 careful way in which he investigated the nomen- 

 clature of his species. Every author likely to 

 have described them was consulted, ' their de- 

 scriptions duly estimated; and it was only after 

 thus coming to the decision that the insect before 

 him had not been previously described, that he 

 placed it in his cabinet under a new name.' It 

 was owing to this cautious mode of proceeding 

 — ■' which young entomologists would do well to 

 follow' — that he fell into so few errors, and ren- 

 dered such solid service to the science, and a not 

 less careful consideration was always exercised 

 by him in the forming of new genera, and in his 

 published description of new species, as his ad- 

 mirable papers in the ' Linnasan Transactions ' 

 amply testify." — A Lover of Nature. 



Walnuts, preserved, an excellent Family Medi- 

 cine. — It is stated, Mr. Editor, by one of your 

 contemporaries — and I know it to be true — that 

 walnuts form an excellent medicinal preserve, 

 being an alterative. It is recommended that 

 half a pound of moist sugar be put to a score of 



walnuts, the jar put into a saucepan of boiling 

 water, and kept simmering for three hours. The 

 sugar, when dissolved, should cover the walnuts. 

 If it does not, add sufficient to do this. Cover 

 the jar properly, and in six months it will be fit 

 for use. The older it is, the better. One walnut 

 is a dose for a child of six years of age, as a pur- 

 gative. While it is valuable as a medicine, it is 

 also sure to be in high repute, for it is deemed a 

 great treat by the young. — A Young Mother. 



THE CAPTUBE OF THE PIKE,— 



A SONG. 



BY PALMER HACKLE, ESQ. 



The greedy pike lies basking cool 

 Beneath the shade in yonder pool, 



Alert to seize his food; 

 By skilful hand is hurled the bait 

 To lure the tyrant to his fate, 



And drag him from the flood. 



The shining tempter o'er him flies, 

 He glares around with hungry eyes, 



And rushes on the prey; 

 Then moves along with lordly pace, 

 To seek some snug and lonely place, 



Where he may dine to-day. 



At last he stops, and sinking deep, 

 Seems for ten minutes fast asleep, 



In sweet indulgence lost. 

 I'll wake him soon, as you shall see, 

 And let him know that verily, 



He's dining to his cost! 



The time is up! I turn my reel, 

 And wind my line until I feel 



I've got my distance right; 

 Then, holding him firmly, let him dash, 

 And dive and plunge, and lash and splash, 



And fight his bravest fight. 



Hurrah, hurrah! he rushes on! 

 Pay out the line, or he'll be gone! 



There — check him smartly now ! 

 Well done! — he turns upon his track, 

 And, plunging, dashes madly back — 



By Jove — a glorious row ! 



Away, away ; he'll take his fling ! 

 'Tis hard to snap a slackened string ; 



I'll tease him when he blows! 

 See there, he stops to breathe — again 

 The strong stiff rod puts on the strain, 



And leaves him no repose. 



Another plunge ! but feebler much ; 

 I hold him with a firmer clutch ; 



And play him nearer shore; 

 The strong hook fixed with murderous grasp, 

 Lifts him in sight ; and see — that gasp, 



Till he can fight no more ! 



The struggle's o'er; the work is done; 

 All bootless every frantic run, 



In vain he strains the line: 

 Ah! Ah! I feel I have him fast; 

 And look — I've landed him at last; 



He's mine !— he's mine! — he's mine ! ! 



