58 



IUUD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



hard breathing; and the noise emitted from 

 their nostrils is quite distressing. Some are so 

 bad, that they put their heads under their wings, 

 and sit moping all day. When disturbed, they 

 rally a little; but soon return to their former 

 state. A friend and neighbor of mine, who also 

 keeps birds, says his are also similarly affected. 

 How is this ? What have I done wrong ? How 

 must I do right ? — A. P., Hitjhgate. 



[At this season, change of diet is the great 

 panacea for all these ills, Give your birds water- 

 cress, boiled milk (instead of water), sponge- 

 cake, hard-boiled yolk of egg, and a little 

 raw, scraped beef, moistened with cold water. 

 Try these, and write again.] 



Docility of the Wood Pigeon. — I think it right 

 to bring under your notice a paragraph that I 

 have just read in the Western Flying- Post, 

 about the wood pigeon. These birds are 

 notoriously wild; so wild as to be almost un- 

 tameable. Do you credit the statement ? It 

 runs as follows : — " A very curious instance of 

 what docility will accomplish, is observable in 

 the Amesbury union, where the boys have 

 domesticated (beside small birds) five wood 

 pigeons, one of which has been there 8 years. 

 They invariably, at the sound of the bell for 

 meals, leave the trees in the vicinity and fly 

 direct into the school-room, perching on the 

 boys' heads, who feed and caress them without 

 their showing the least fear. When the boys are 

 out for a ramble, the birds will, at a call, come 

 and alight, on their heads. — An Observer, 

 Bromley. 



[Our " swallow," like that of our correspondent, 

 can hardly " take in " the above. No doubt, the 

 highly respectable paper which gave it insertion, 

 believed it to be " true." We look, however, 

 for further corroboration.'] 



A " Bald " Blackbird. — Ever since my bird 

 moulted, his head has remained perfectly bare. 

 He is quite an object ! How shall I act to faci- 

 litate the growth of his feathers? 



[Keep him warm, and feed him on generous 

 diet. Bear in mind that he loves rump-steak, 

 cheese, bread and butter, snails, and mashed 

 potatoe (free from butter) ; and as many meal- 

 worms as the state of your exchequer will admit 

 of. His head will be as black as jet in a month 

 hence.] 



Husky Canary. — My " pet " canary, one of 

 eight, has for the last fortnight been attacked 

 with a wheezing (if I may so call it), and is con- 

 stantly panting, as if it were suffering from some 

 internal complaint. If you can " prescribe " for 

 me, and save the life of my darling bird, I shall 

 ever remain your most grateful debtor. — Amelia 

 S., Hastings. 



[Fear not, Mademoiselle. The case, though 

 bad, is not hopeless. Keep your invalid warm, 

 and out of the reach of all draughts. Procure 

 some raw rump-steak, let a little of it be scraped 

 very fine, and mixed with some hard-boiled yolk 

 of egg, diluted in cold water. Previously to ad- 

 ministering this, remove the drinking glass ; and 

 in lieu of water, substitute boiled milk. Do this 



for two days; and then try the prepared meat. 

 Your next letter will bring "tidings of great joy." 

 We shall look for it, with anticipations of plea- 

 sure.] 



" Tumbler " Pigeons. — I am a devoted admirer 

 of pigeons, and have just had some very sweetly- 

 pretty Almond Tumblers given me. Do pray 

 tell me, Sir, if they are valuable, and possessed of 

 good qualities, and affection — points on which I 

 perceive you are properly particular. — Lizzie 

 K., Norwood. 



[We will not inquire who gave you these Al- 

 mond Tumblers ; but we anticipate it was " a very 

 particular friend," He has properly estimated 

 your kind disposition, whilst bestowing on you so 

 elegant a charge. Yes ; Almond Tumblers pos- 

 sess all the virtues inherent in the Columbine 

 tribe. Symmetrical in form, and gentle in dis- 

 position, you could not cultivate any " pets " who 

 would more fully estimate your fondness for 

 them. They will come indoors to be fed, and 

 never leave you, if such be your will. However, 

 it is not good to make them too tame ; lest their 

 young should fall a prey to the jaws of a neigh- 

 bor's cat. (We hope you do not keep a cat!) If 

 you wish to enjoy an animating sight, suddenly 

 raise a white cloth, and put them to the rout. 

 They will then rise on the wing and prepare for 

 a flight. The flight of a flock of Almond Tum- 

 blers, indeed any tumblers, is an amusing thing 

 to witness. The birds, whilst wheeling round, 

 keep in compact array; every now and then, 

 throwing backward somersaults, and turning 

 completely round in the air, which for a moment 

 checks their flight. Then, quickly recovering 

 their wings, they again dart swiftly forward. 

 When descending from their elevation, and pre- 

 paring to alight, these somersaults are repeated 

 in rapid succession before they reach the ground. 

 They seem to do this from a spirit of rivalry ; for 

 there is much of the "dare-devil" in them. 

 Slightly built as these elegant creatures appear 

 to be, yet will they take very long flights, and 

 without any apparent fatigue. , You will, no 

 doubt, have many more questions to put to us, 

 connected with this your favorite hobby. You 

 will see by the above, "how very much" we are 

 at your service.] 



Remarkable Flight of Migrating Brown Butter- 

 flies. — Should you deem a record of the under- 

 mentioned singular phenomenon of sufficient 

 importance for your London Journal, it will 

 give me much pleasure to have placed an inti- 

 mation of the fact at your disposal. I scarcely 

 need remind you, that the atmosphere on Sunday 

 last (Jan. 4 th), was considerably frosty, and very 

 cold -winds prevailed more or less during the 

 entire day, but it was particularly stormy about 

 half-past 2 o'clock (afternoon), at which period 

 I was in company with a friend standing at my 

 sitting-room window, when to our great surprise 

 we observed a numerous colony of large brown 

 butterflies migrating in a body (similar to a 

 swarm of bees on wing), from south-west to 

 north-east. Some of them were momentarily 

 driven by the force of the storm so near to the 

 window at which myself and friend were stand- 

 ing, that both of us had ample time and a good 



