116 



KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



alone remaining where it is deposited ; and 

 not even these, unless sufficiently deep in 

 the soil, to be out of the absorbent reach of 

 the roots of plants and trees. 



Nothing appears so cannibalising as to see 

 a flock of sheep grazing in a country church- 

 yard, knowing it to be an undeniable fact that 

 the grass they eat has been nurtured by the 

 gaseous emanations from my immediate pre- 

 decessors ; then following up the fact that 

 this said grass is actually assimilated by the 

 animal, and becomes mutton, whereof we 

 may, perhaps, dine next week. " Truth is 

 stranger than fiction !" and here is a truth 

 that exemplifies the proverb. 



It is not at all difficult to prove that the ele- 

 ments, of which the living bodies of the pre- 

 sent generation are composed, have passed 

 through millions of mutations, and formed 

 parts of all kinds of animal and vegetable 

 bodies, in accordance with the unerring hvw 

 of nature ; and consequently we may say 

 with truth that fractions of the elements of 

 our ancestors form portions of ourselves. 

 Some of the particles of Cicero's or iEsop's 

 body, peradventure, wield his pen. Thus 

 saith the chemist ; now listen to the words of 

 the poet : — " To what base uses may we re- 

 turn, Horatio !" Why may not imagination 

 trace the noble dust of Alexander, till he 

 find it stopping a bung-hole? To follow 

 him thither with modesty enough, and like- 

 lihood to lead it : as thus : — Alexander died, 

 Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth 

 into dust ; the dust is earth ; of earth we 

 make loam ; and why of that loam, whereto 

 he was converted, might they not stop a beer 

 barrel ? 



" Imperial Csesar, dead, and turn'd to clay, 

 Might stop a hole to keep the wind away ; 

 Oh, that that earth, which kept the world in awe, 

 Should patch a wail to expel the winter's flaw !" 



Hamlet, Act. v. s. 1. 



Notes " on the Minds of Animals. 



The following observations have reference to 

 animals, inferior to man; and exhibit their ap- 

 parent knowledge of the sciences and arts; also, 

 their professions, occupations, and employ- 

 ments: — 



Bees are geometricians — their cells are so con- 

 structed as, with the least quantity of material, 

 to have the largest-sized spaces and least possible 

 less of interstice. 



So, also, is the Ant Lion — his funnel-shaped 

 trap is exactly correct in its conformation as if it 

 had been made by the most skilful artist of 

 our species, with the aid of the best instru- 

 ments. 



The Mole is a meteorologist. 



The bird called the Nine Killer is an arith- 

 metician ; so also is the Crow, the Wild Tur- 

 key, and some other birds. 



The Torpedo, the Ray, and the Electric 

 Eel, are electricians. 



The Nautilus is a navigator — he raises and 

 lowers his sail, casts and weighs anchor, and per- 

 forms other nautical evolutions. 



"Whole tribes of birds are musicians. 



The Beaver is an architect, builder, and 

 woodcutter — he cuts down trees, and erects 

 houses and dams. 



The Marmot is a civil engineer — he not only 

 builds houses, but constructs aqueducts and 

 drains to keep them dry. 



The White Ants maintain a regular army of 

 soldiers. 



The East India Ants are horticulturists — 

 they make mushrooms, upon which they feed 

 their young. 



Wasps are paper manufacturers. 



Caterpillars are silk spinners. 



The bird Ploceus Textor is a weaver — he 

 weaves a web to make his nest. 



The Primia is a tailor— he sews the leaves 

 together to make his nest. 



The Squirrel is a ferryman — with a chip or 

 piece of bark for a boat, and his tail for a sail, he 

 crosses a stream. 



Dogs, Wolves, Jackals, and many others, 

 are hunters. 



The Black Bear and Heron are fishermen. 



The Ants have regular day laborers. 



The Monkey is a rope dancer. 



The associations of Beavers present us with 

 a model of republicanism. 



The Bees live under a monarchy. 



The Indian Antelopes furnish an example 

 of a patriarchal government. 



Elephants exhibit an aristocracy of elders. 



Wild Horses are said to elect their leaders. 



Sheep, in a wild state, are under the control 

 of a military chief ram. 



THE ROBIN RED-BREAST. 



Now that this " lovely bird with russet 

 coat" is exciting so much attention in our 

 pages, we will keep up the interest by a suc- 

 cession of Anecdotes, throwing up his cha- 

 racter in " full relief." The following was 

 an amateur contribution to the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle, May 25, 1844. The paper con- 

 taining it, has long since been out of print, 

 and the anecdote not obtainable in a printed 

 form : — ■ 



Sir, — In a late Number appeared a very 

 interesting anecdote of an " affectionate " 

 robin. Your correspondent has, however, 

 I would presume, seen little beyond the 

 " sunny side" of this bird's character. I 

 grant the robin has some very striking, good 

 qualities ; but " more remains behind." 



I have made the study of birds a very fa- 

 vorite pastime for the last fourteen years, my 

 collection seldom averaging fewer than from 

 200 to 300 of nearly all kinds, including 

 nightingales, black-caps, babillards, &c. &c. ; 

 and I have had as many as seventeen robins in 

 cages at one and the same time. My 

 observation, during the above period, com- 



