KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



341 



ment. Tliere can be no doubt that they 

 are most in their element (during confine- 

 ment) when in the immediate neighborhood 

 of trees, shrubs, flowers, and plants. It 

 will be desirable, therefore, to render the 

 aviary as umbrageous as possible ; and to 

 have it overarched, at all events in the sum- 

 mer season, with drooping foliage. An Ivy 

 plant would greatly assist in this matter, 

 and a Honey-suckle ; also some fine Cubas, 

 which would soon grow bushy, and look 

 very handsome on either side. A Palm 

 and a Sycamore tree would also be of 

 rapid growth. The more secluded — except 

 at the front, which must be kept more 

 open — the better on every account. It at- 

 tracts the wild birds, and tempts them to 

 take up their quarters with you ; thus 

 strengthening your own orchestra, and im- 

 proving the taste of the respective per- 

 formers ; for we must ever concede, after 

 all, that Nature is the best teacher. 



Round all the windows, on the outside, 

 a miniature balcony should be affixed, in 

 which might be placed pots of Geraniums, 

 Calceolarias, Sweet Williams, Pinks, Sweet 

 Peas, and other varieties. These, when 

 properly bestowed (not too crowded), show 

 off your birds to great advantage ; for while 

 they sit singing on their perches at the win- 

 dow, their plumage and action will be dis- 

 tinctly visible between the flowers, from 

 one extremity of the garden to the other. 



AUTO-BIOGBAPHY OF A DOG.— No. IV. 



WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 



Dear Mr Editor, — I left our party at 

 the " Tour de Gourzes," just going to commence 

 operations. Every one, net in hand, was looking 

 out for a prize. Suddenly a loud cry was heard 

 from the music master, about twenty feet below. 

 " Xommen sie ! Kommen sie! Sclmell! Schnell! 

 See what an astounding creature I have found ! " 

 And there he was, poking about with his stick in 

 a little puddle of dirty water, about four feet 

 square. Anxiety and curiosity were depictured 

 on his musical phiz. 



Down rushed every one, and forgetting they 

 were not on a level surface, they never looked 

 before they leaped. Some came " head over 

 heels," and some rolling side way. Luckily, this 

 rush happened on the eastern side of the mountain. 

 Had it been in the 'contrary direction, I fear it 

 would have been the last day's sport for some of 

 the party. I should not particularly have wished 

 to try it my own self. Well, judge of their 

 astonishment, when the astounding creature 

 turned out to be a — tadpole ! A capital laugh 

 had we at the music master, in which I and my 

 brother joined heartily. 



Presently, the German servant calls out 

 "Purple Emperor! " and certainly a splendid 

 creature was sailing about, over a little bit of a 

 sallow that grew on the top of the ruins of the 

 ancient tower. "But how can the Emperor be 



there?" says Bombyx Atlas. " I don't see any 

 oak tree near the spot: it is very odd. You must 

 catch that butterfly, Karl, or I'll kill you." 

 " Oh, I'll have him, I'll watch him. He shan't 

 escape, or I'll be shot." "I've got a noble Po- 

 dalirius," cries one of the young ones. " I've got 

 Dorylas," roars another. " Here's Niobe! " shouts 

 Bombyx Atlas. Just then another shout. This 

 was from the German servant. " Here he is 

 ' wunderschon,' but it is not the Emperor — what 

 a beauty! There goes another; got him. Well, 

 it is a noble fellow. It is Nymphalys Populi." 

 "Here's another, a little smaller and rather darker," 

 calls Erere Jean. " That's Tremulse, Jean; 

 take them all." "Here's Machaon." "Oh, 

 bother your Machaon ; unless it is a variety, we 

 have no room for him— let him go." " Here's a 

 beautiful blue!" sings out the music master — 

 " That's Adonis.' " 



"Seize that fellow," calls Bombyx, "it is 

 Lynceus." "Oh, look at these splendid golden 

 ones," bawls the eldest boy ; and he and his brother 

 were soon in the field. " I say, young strike-a- 

 light, can't you just get out of that field ? " screams 

 a sulky Swiss peasant, "if you can't I'll just make 

 you." " I tell you what, old donkey," says 

 Frere Jean, "if you don't go home, and mind 

 your business, I'll just put you in the middle of 

 the lake;" and he walked up quietly to him, 

 suiting the action to the word. The fellow did 

 not like his appearance, and made a bolt of it. 

 " Now I'll not let him show his nose," says Jean, 

 " till you have got all you want." So, at least 

 twenty lovely " Polyommati chryseis" were taken ; 

 and the old fellow came out grumbling and 

 swearing, and Jean laughing at him as coolly as 

 possible. 



Now it was an abominable shame to turn a 

 man off his own field; but Jean did not care for 

 anything. He took it all as sport. Besides, no 

 harm was done or intended, and a Swiss franc 

 afterwards made all good friends together. — A 

 whole host of " Bubricollis" were taken, as well as 

 a lot of Geometrse; among them " Smaragdaria" 

 "Chaerophyllaria; Macularia" &c, &c. Also, 

 an immense number of " Satyres and Argynnes." 

 But to mention all their names, would take up 

 too much space. Suffice it to say, every box 

 and beetle bottle were full. An amazing quan- 

 tity of Caterpillars were also taken. Among 

 them was a nest of " Vanessa antiopa." All this 

 before they returned to dinner, which they did 

 about a quarter of an hour before the time 

 appointed. 



I am not going to say how many frogs, field- 

 mice, and lizards, I and my brother disposed of. 

 Arrived at the " chalet," we found a long deal 

 table, bedecked with a snow-white cloth, laid out 

 under the shade of two beautiful plane trees. 

 Upon this was soon placed one of the most de- 

 licious soups you ever tasted, Mr. Editor. The 

 principal ingredients were the wild herbs from 

 the mountain. Then some trout, just fresh from 

 the celebrated "Lac de Bret," about half an 

 hour's walk from the foot of the mountain. Then 

 followed cutlets, chickens, and such a salad — with 

 the best walnut -oil. I never shall forget it! and 

 then, — but it makes me sigh to think of it ;—such 

 an omelet ! ! I have got the taste in my mouth 

 now. Never did I know what an omelet was 



