228 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



We have had, from time to time, many of 

 this tribe in confinement, and can give them 

 good characters for temper, willingness to 

 please, and sincere affection — this latter 

 being always evidenced in a grateful, grace- 

 ful song, for all favors conferred, and all 

 attentions p ud. We should recommend 

 their beiig placed in a cage, similar in every 

 respect to that of the black-cap ; for they 

 love plenty of room, and also to see what is 

 going forward. Hang them moderately 

 low, and feed them on Clifford's German 

 paste, boiled egg, sweet bun, and bruised 

 hemp-seed. Let their cages be kept par- 

 ticularly clean and sweet ; and bear in active 

 remembrance how they love a mealworm, 

 spider, earwig, or woodlouse. All these 

 luxuries you should, as occasion offers, bring 

 mysteriously under their distant observa- 

 tion. You will be highly diverted to see 

 how they will strain their little necks to 

 keep the mealworms in view, while they are 

 creeping along upon the table; nor will you 

 be less pleased to note their affectionate 

 gratitude, in return for any little favor you 

 may confer in the way of such a treat. 



Being a delicate bird, you must keep them 

 snug and warm whilst moulting; and we 

 should recommend their being fed during 

 this ailment on liver gentles, of which they 

 are very fond. Their time for leaving this 

 country, is about the middle or end of Sep- 

 tember. They will, at this season, be found 

 very restless in their cages ; but a few weeks 

 will restore them to their usual serenity, and 

 before Christmas they will be in song. 



The proper place to purchase these birds, 

 is that great ornithological emporium which 

 we have already immortalised — the Seven 

 Dials. You must, whilst selecting your 

 little prisoners, exercise the same discretion 

 as we have before hinted at. Always choose 

 leisurely, and never decide until you have 

 had ample opportunities for forming a correct 

 judgment. Whether you will procure old 

 birds, or " branehers," it is for yourself to 

 determine. It must of course depend much 

 upon circumstances. 



As with the black- cap, you will find the 

 " bath " a luxury looked for, and highly ap- 

 preciated by the white-throat ; nor are his 

 gambols, whilst bathing, one whit less divert- 

 ing. He must not, however, enjoy himself 

 in this way oftener than twice daily in the 

 summer ; in the winter, never. Cramp 

 would follow such an ill-judged indulgence, 

 and his career would speedily terminate. 



When we whisper that elder -berries, 

 boiled milk and bread, soaked grocers' cur- 

 rants, a soft roasted apple, and occasionally 

 a little piece of raw, scraped beef, are 

 amongst the delicacies in which this bird de- 

 lights — we feel sure he will be accommodated 

 with each and all in turn. Then can we, 



with the more pleasure, solace ourselves with 

 the luxuries of the season — all so tempting 

 to the appetite ! 



MORE WONDERS OF THE INSECT WORLD. 



THE GOSSAMER. 



During the months of September 

 and October, every observant eye must 

 have met with the silvery threads of Gos- 

 samer, which are so frequently seen extending 

 from bush to bush, from furrow to furrow ; 

 and glancing with irridescent brightness in 

 the morning sun. 



The origin of the Gossamer was formerly 

 unknown. Spencer speaks of them as 

 " scorched dew;" and Thomson mentions, in 

 his " Autumn," ' the filmy threads of dew 

 evaporate ;' which no doubt refers to the 

 same object. 



The Gossamer is now known to be the 

 production of a minute spider. It is twice 

 mentioned by Shakspeare ; but not in con- 

 nection with the little being from whom it 

 originates, and with which he was most pro- 

 bably unacquainted. One of the passages is 

 familiar to every one : — 



" A lover may bestride the gossamer 



That idles in the wanton summer air, 

 And yet not fall — so light is vanity," 



Romeo and Juliet, act ii. sc. vi. 



and the other is put into the mouth of Edgar, 

 when he accosts his father, after his sup- 

 posed leap from that 



" Cliff, whose high and bending head 

 Looks fearfully on the confined deep." — 



" Had st thou been aught hut gossamer, feather, 

 air, 

 So many fathom down precipitating, 

 Thou had'st shiverd like an egg." 



Lear, act iv. sc. vi. 



In both instances, it is expressive of extreme 

 lightness. In the same manner, it is used 

 by Hogg, in the " Queen's Wake :" 



" Light as the fumes of fervid wine, 

 Or foam te~elts floating on the brine, 

 The gossamers in air that sail, 

 Or down that dances in the gale." 



And the same poet has introduced it as^a 

 vehicle fit for the fairy bands, which he de- 

 scribes as 



" sailing 'mid the golden air 



In skiffs of yielding gossamer." 



Thus, beautiful in its appearance, and rich 

 in poetic associations, the " restless gossa- 

 mer"* comes recommended to our notice 

 and courting our inquiry. But the subject 

 is still involved in obscurity. Two opposite 

 opinions respecting it have been ably advo- 



* Coleridge's " Ancient Mariner." 



