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KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



sides this could, of course, be readily used. 

 Again, to those who are lovers both of plants 

 and birds (and there are few who are not so), 

 what pleasure would it not give (especially to 

 dwellers in cities), were a Ward's case, filled 

 with ferns, &c, and birds combined? This could 

 easily be done, by having a case divided by 

 glass partitions into three divisions; the two ends 

 for plants, and air tight ; the centre for birds, — 

 ventilation being provided for as before de- 

 scribed. Or a case might be made, having a 

 glass partition in the centre; one end, plants, 

 the other birds. It strikes me this would be a 

 pretty combination for the parlor window ; and I 

 shall be glad to hear if any of your readers make 

 use of the suggestion, or have already had such 

 a thing in use. — J. C, Glasgow. 



PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS. 

 Robin's Soirees Parisiennes. 



We have had so many wizards, magi- 

 cians, and conjurors of late years, that we 

 begin to get " quite knowing 1 ' in matters 

 of mystery. Some have come from the 

 north, others from the east and west, and 

 others from the south ; all, however, have 

 produced something marvellous. 



If, however, we speak fairly, Ave feel 

 bound to decide in favor of M. Robin, as a 

 " prestigidator." He does whatever he at- 

 tempts so well, so coolly, so naturally, that 

 you feel he could, if asked to do so, pro- 

 duce anything that might be wanted. His 

 " address," too, is pleasing. 



We saw him, a few evenings since, borroAv 

 a gentleman's hat. Placing it under his 

 arm, and standing on a platform in the cen- 

 tre of the pit, he dreAv from it at his leisure 

 for some quarter of an hour, as many articles 

 as covered a large table. So many indeed, 

 that we imagine a dozen " common" hats 

 could not have contained them. We counted 

 some forty or fifty tin mugs, five inches 

 deep ; at least as many children's balls : 

 whilst toys, bon-bons, fans, and other articles, 

 were discharged from the hat almost Avith- 

 out end. The rapidity of their appearance 

 Avas irresistibly droll, and Ave shall not, most 

 assuredly, descend to inquire 'whence they 

 came ! 



As it Avould be unfair to tell all Ave saAv, 

 thereby anticipating Avhat e\ T erybody else 

 ought to see, Ave Avill only remark, that the 

 performances altogether w r ere truly mar- 

 vellous. The senses Avere fairly taken cap- 

 tive. You doubted, and yet Avere u con- 

 vinced." You attempted to " explain," and 

 fell into a labyrinth of error. We never 

 enjoyed a more pleasant evening. 



M. Robin was assisted materially by 

 Madame Robin, Avhose " long sight" could 

 only be compared to a marine telescope. 

 We began to think she could read our 



thoughts, and therefore tried to think of 

 nothing but what was " proper." (Thoughts 

 will Avander !) 



We must, just direct attention to the pro- 

 duction of three bushels of flock feathers out 

 of a small-sized hat ; the marvellous disap- 

 pearance of Madame Robin through the 

 centre of a table (an admirably- contrived 

 " stage effect") ; and the performances of the 

 tAvo inimitable mechanical figures on the 

 rope. These three items in the entertain- 

 ment Avere Avorth all the entrance money. 

 Indeed, the evening's entertainment, as fur- 

 nished by M. Robin, cannot be too highly 

 lauded. All the Avorld should pay him a 

 visit. He tells you he deceives you, and yet 

 you cannot believe him ! We must see him 

 again, and take a host of children Avith us — 

 Ave dearly Ioa^c to be so surrounded. 



LEAP YEAR. 



This is Leap Year ; February has twenty- 

 nine days — giving us an " odd day " in — and 

 the year is a Avhole day longer than it has 

 been for three years past, or will be for 

 three years to come. This day, Avhich is 

 one in three hundred and sixty-five, bring- 

 ing that number up to three hundred and 

 sixty six, is more than a quarter per cent, 

 gained upon the time, and, consequently, 

 upon the use and enjoyment of the year. It 

 becomes not an uninteresting question — 

 What ought we to do with this " odd day ? " 



Before, hoAvever, Ave attend to this ques- 

 tion, it may not be amiss to inquire into the 

 reason Avhy the present year, 1852, is more 

 beneficial to us by a Avhole day than either 

 of the three preceding or the three succeed- 

 ing years. The day, Avhich means the time 

 that the earth takes to turn round once on 

 its axis, so as to present any one point of 

 its surface successively in every direction to 

 the circumference of a circle in absolute 

 space, is what Ave may call a constant quantity ; 

 that is, Ave have no reason to believe that it 

 is shorter at any one period of time than at 

 another. It depends upon the earth alone, 

 and does not appear to be influenced by the 

 sun, the moon, or any other of the celestial 

 bodies. The axis, or imaginary line around 

 Avhich the earth turns, is perfectly constant 

 to its position in the earth amid all the wa- 

 ned motions of that body, and all the Ally- 

 ing influences Avhich the sun, the moon, and 

 the planets have upon it. The earth, as a 

 mere piece of matter, has no more pOAver of 

 increasing or diminishing its quantity, or of 

 A r arying its motions, than it has, or could 

 have had, of creating itself; and, therefore, 

 this rotation upon its axis, Avhich measures 

 the length of the day, may be considered as 

 being absolutely the same at every period 

 of the Avorld's history, just as the latitudes 



