The trouble these delicate little creatures 

 occasion, is immense. It is therefore but- 

 little more expensive, and no more difficult, 

 to keep a large than it would be to keep 

 a small number of them. Moreover, by so 

 doing, you have a good chance of rearing 

 some first-rate birds. If well tended, they 

 will sing both through the winter and the 

 spring; and if you choose so far to humor 

 their fancy as to light up their salon at night, 

 as we did, and use yourself to sit with them, 

 — they will amply repay you with a joyous, 

 a "right merrie" song. Candle-light warb- 

 lers are our especial fancy. We have had 

 numbers of them ; and such birds ! Some 

 amateurs would have walked a distance of 

 ten miles to have listened to them. But 

 their race, alas ! is run ; the memory of 

 them alone remains ! 



These little fellows throw all the powers 

 of their soul into their " evening perform- 

 ances; 1 ' rarely venturing beyond a certain 

 key-note, which may be justly characterised 

 as harmonious. It is worthy of remark, that 

 their vocal efforts never clash. On the con- 

 trary, every chorister's voice blends with 

 that of his brother musician, and produces 

 the happiest effect — the accompaniments 

 being at all times deliciously sweet. 



AUTO-BIOGEAPHY OF A BOG.— No. I. 



WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 



Deae Mr. Editor,— In No. 38 of Our 

 Journal, I have perceived with much sur- 

 prise, not unmixed with some feelings of 

 indignation, that yourself and my old 

 master (Bombyx Atlas) —God bless the 

 old boy ! have been showing me up in 

 rather a ridiculous position. But let me tell 

 you, Sir, this was scarcely fair play without 

 giving me due notice of your intention, so 

 that I might have been enabled instanter to 

 defend my character. 



Now I do not mean to deny the rest of the 

 statement ; but as your words might be 

 taken (yes, Mr. Editor, and it is quite evi- 

 dent they have been so taken by some of 

 my neighbors), to insinuate that I was such 

 'a coward that I ran away from a swallow- 

 it is a slur upon my character that I cannot 

 stand. It is well known that neither cow- 

 ardice nor fear ever entered into the noble 

 race of the " Finos ;" and had you thought 

 for a moment, you must have known that 

 had I only opened my jaw when the swallow 

 was approaching me, he would have passed 

 clean down my throat without being aware 

 of where he was. — Had I even wagged my 

 tail, I should have brushed all the swallows 

 into the lake ! 



No, — Mr. Editor, it was a kind motive 

 that induced me to retire. I did so that my 

 master might enjoy the sport between puss 



and hirundo. To be sure, I did give a growl ; 

 as I did not wish to be disturbed from my 

 quarters for such nonsensical sport. But 

 could I have foreseen that I should have 

 been shown up in our Journal, I would 

 have swallowed up all the swallows in the 

 Bucher ; and puss with them. 



I have lived to a very respectable old age ; 

 and my faithful services ( I believe I may 

 say so without vanity) to one master, during 

 a long career, entitle me to a certain degree 

 of respect. 1 have seen many a curious 

 sight, witnessed many a strange scene ; and 

 being naturally of an entomological turn, 

 and a great admirer of nature and natural 

 history, also a constant companion by day 

 and by night of my jolly old master — I think 

 I can recite some scenes that I have witness- 

 ed that will interest and amuse the readers of 

 " Our Journal." If I should show up 

 " Bombyx Atlas," it is his own fault ; he be- 

 gan the attack. 



I first drew breath in the country house of 

 Vlllamont, near Lausanne, Switzerland, in the 

 autumn of 1844. Before I could crack a 

 bone, or even lap milk, I was taken to my pre- 

 sent master (whom I have never left one mi- 

 nute) ; and joined my elder brother, who was 

 already in his service. This said brother ,to say 

 the truth, was the most impudent dog in the 

 whole canton ; and excepting myself (of 

 course) the boldest rascal that ever barked ; 

 he cared for nothing, and would attack any- 

 thing that came in his way, from a butter- 

 fly to a parson. He was an out-and-out queer 

 fellow ; but he has finished his career, and 

 I have mourned for him ever since. 



'For the first fifteen to eighteen months of 

 my life, I was very much caressed and 

 coaxed ; and initiated into all the little 

 tricks that endear a dog to his master : 

 moreover, being rather a handsome-looking 

 fellow, I was much petted (perhaps I am so 

 now), but I am no " ladies' pet." I lived 

 like a fighting- cock. So I do now. — All my 

 amusements consist in catching cats, rats, 

 hedge-hogs ; in fact anything that comes in 

 my way. I used every morning to do 

 the work of a pony ; for my master keeps 

 such a quantity of insects, that I was har- 

 nessed to a little cart, and received the dif- 

 ferent leaves that he deposited in the cart. 

 I knew perfectly well every tree where he 

 had to stop, as well as he did himself. And 

 how often have I seen occasion to remind 

 him that he had a particular caterpillar, by 

 stopping before the tree it fed upon, and 

 wagging my tail till he had put the neces- 

 sary leaves in the cart ! whereas, without 

 me, he would have gone on and returned 

 home without them. I have often been out 

 hunting insects with him ; and in my next I 

 shall describe some of these exciting scenes ; 

 for 1 can assure you a merry entomological 



