KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



323 



more potent near the ground, and those who 

 are compelled to reside in such localities, 

 may escape much evil by occupying rooms 

 as elevated above the soil as possible. 



Dry air is generally good ; but it may be 

 too dry, and produce disagreeable effects 

 upon the skin, chapped hands, &c. Moist 

 air, when combined with cold, is worst of 

 all. The state of the atmosphere varies 

 much in the twenty-four hours. The fresh 

 air of early morning, salubrious to the 

 strong and healthy, requires to be dried and 

 warmed by the sun before it is suitable for 

 the invalid. Even in summer, in this 

 climate, this is scarcely the case before 

 eight o'clock. Exposure to the damp air of 

 evening and night, must always be shunned 

 by the weak in health : so noxious is it 

 in some tropical or marshy regions, that 

 one night's sleep within its influence is 

 certain to be followed by an attack of ill- 

 ness. That a uniform temperature or 

 unchanging climate is not so well adapted 

 to maintain health as a variable one, is ad- 

 mitted on the authority and experience of 

 Sir James Clark, Dr. Combe, and others. 



Here Ave will break off, merely adding that 

 this book is produced at so small a cost — 

 twelve numbers at sixpence each — as to 

 bring it readily within the means of all. We 

 again give it our best word. 



NATUEE'S CAEE EGE HEE CHILDREN. 



Throughout the animal creation, the 

 adaptation of the color of the creature to its 

 haunts, is worthy of admiration, as tending 

 to its preservation. The colors of insects, 

 and of a multitude of the smaller animals, 

 contribute to their concealment. Caterpillars 

 which feed on leaves, are generally either 

 green, or have a large proportion of that hue 

 in the color of their coats. As long as they 

 remain still, how difficult it is to distinguish 

 a grasshopper, or young locust, from the 

 herbage or leaf on which it rests ! The 

 butterflies that flit about among flowers, are 

 colored like them. The small birds which 

 frequent hedges, have backs of a greenish or 

 brownish-green hue, and their bellies are 

 generally whitish, or light -colored, so as to 

 harmonise with the sky. Thus they become 

 less visible to the hawk or cat that passes 

 above or below them. The wayfarer across 

 the fields almost treads upon the sky-lark 

 before he sees it rise warbling to heaven's 

 gate. The goldfinch, or thistlefinch, passes 

 much of its time among flowers, and is vividly 

 colored, accordingly. The partridge can 

 hardly be distinguished from the fallow or 

 stubble, upon or among which it crouches ; 

 and it is considered an accomplishment among 

 sportsmen, to have a good eye for finding a 



hare sitting. In northern countries, the 

 winter dress of the hares and ptarmigans is 

 white, to prevent detection among the snows 

 of those inclement regions. If we turn to 

 the waters, the same design is evident. Frogs 

 even vary their color according to that of 

 the mud, or sand, that forms the bottom of 

 the ponds or streams which they frequent — 

 nay, the tree-frog (Hyla mridis) takes its 

 specific name from the color, which renders 

 it so difficult to see it among the leaves, where 

 it adheres by the cupping-glass-like pro- 

 cesses, at the end of its toes. It is the same 

 with fish, especially those which inhabit the 

 fresh waters. Their backs, with the exception 

 of gold and silver fish, and a few others, are 

 comparatively dark ; and some practice is 

 required, before they are satisfactorily made 

 out, as they come like shadows, and so 

 depart, under the eye of the spectator. A 

 little boy once called out to a friend to " come 

 and see, for the bottom of the brook was 

 moving along." The friend came, and saw 

 that a thick shoal of gudgeons, and roach, 

 and dace, was passing. It is difficult to 

 detect the " ravenous luce," as old Izaak calls 

 the pike, with its dark green, and mottled 

 back and sides, from the similarly-tinted 

 weeds, among which that fresh-water shark 

 lies at the watch, as motionless as they. 

 Even when a tearing old trout, a six or seven 

 pounder, sails, in his wantonness, leisurely up- 

 stream, with his back -fin partly above the 

 surface, on the look-out for a fly, few, except 

 a well - entered fisherman, can tell what 

 shadowy form it is that ripples the wimpling 

 water. But the bellies of fish are white, or 

 nearly so ; thus imitating, in a degree, the 

 color" of the sky, to deceive the otter, which 

 generally takes its prey from below, swim- 

 ming under the intended victim. Nor is this 

 design less manifest in the color and appear- 

 ance of some of the largest terrestrial animals; 

 for the same principle seems to be kept in 

 view, whether regard be had to the smallest 

 insects, or the quadrupedal giant of the 

 land. 



PQPULAE DISCUSSIONS. 



THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF FLOODS. 



So great, Mr Editor, is the injury 

 done in this country by Floods, — more par- 

 ticularly those visiting the valleys of our 

 southern counties, that one feels naturally 

 inclined to inquire the reason of these devas- 

 tations. 



In most of the valleys of our southern 

 counties the rivers are sluggish, and, in 

 consequence of the little fall in them, allu- 

 vial soil of the richest description has been 

 deposited upon their banks. Population 

 has been gradually drawn to the neighbor- 



