KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



123 



tering into our views and feelings. As we have 

 before remarked, we want to be " useful " in our 

 day and generation. Only give us a subject, 

 and we will try and handle it to the advantage 

 of the public.] 



A " Pet " Greenfinch.—" A right hearty wel- 

 come be yours!" Mr. Editor, for having come 

 amongst us as our M.D. — I, for one, rejoice at so 

 fortunate a circumstance. Now tell me, how can 

 I act with respect to my "pet" greenfinch? He 

 is, I imagine, healthy and strong; for he eats like 

 one of our city aldermen, hardly ever leaving off. 

 He gives me, moreover, "striking proofs" of his 

 strength; for he pecks hard at my hands, and 

 makes me feel his power. He moulted two years 

 ago " ragged," the same result attended his last 

 moult. His "flights" have not grown, and his 

 tail is miserably curtailed. I have tried change 

 of food ; and having a large garden, I give my 

 prisoner leave to wander in it, seeing that he 

 cannot fly away. He gets many a "salad " there, 

 and seems happy as a prince. Oh, could you but 

 see him when he tries to " plume " the anatomies 

 of his wings ! It would disturb the gravity even 

 of " an Editor ! " Can you help me in this? If 

 so, I shall be, more than ever, yours obliged, — 

 Flora G. 



[Why, Miss Flora — Why have you withholden 

 your address? You have made only half a con- 

 fidant of us; for how can we tell you in print 

 one quarter what is to be done under such cir- 

 cumstances as you are placed in? If you con- 

 fide in us, small evidence have we of it. Eeform 

 this, if you please. Your bird's feathers can be 

 restored ; but your affectionate hand must descend 

 to inflict a small modicum of pain, — not more 

 than the slight puncture of a needle would inflict 

 on your own fair arm. Press the tail, and also 

 the fleshy part of each wing, between your thumb 

 and finger; and carefully draw the stump of each 

 feather out, separately, by placing them one by 

 one between your " ivories." By giving Mr. 

 Finch the free run of the garden after this opera- 

 tion, we pledge our reputation that in three weeks 

 he will have a long-tailed coat, and look as spruce 

 as " a youth of fifteen." We shall look for this to 

 be confirmed.] 



On the Fecundation of the Eggs of the Domestic 

 Fowl. — In Richardson's " Domestic Fowls," page 

 73 (article • Turkey'), we find the following :— 

 " It has been stated by some, and yet as positively 

 denied by others, that one fecundation will render 

 all the eggs of that laying, fertile. Without enter- 

 ing into any discussion upon the subject, I may 

 merely remark, Mr. Nolan is of opinion that 

 such is the case ; and as he has had the advan- 

 tage of many years' experience, I should be very 

 sorry to differ from him." Now, Mr. Editor, as 

 the same opinion is entertained by many persons 

 respecting the common fowl, and I had an ad- 

 mirable opportunity, last June, of testing the 

 truth, I thought I would do so. But, perhaps, I 

 should not have thought so much of it, had I not 

 happened to converse with an intelligent friend, 

 who, I can safely say, possessed, generally speak- 

 ing, an accurate knowledge of established facts ; 

 and who assured me that the clutch was rendered 

 reproductive by one coitus only, as in turkeys. He 



mentioned moreover several "authorities ;" but their 

 names I now forget, as being of the same opinion. 

 Although I had my doubts as to the position (or 

 why, I ask, so many clear eggs?) with respect to 

 common fowl — and indeed I may add,' I also have 

 of the turkey, — I resolved to set the point at rest, so 

 far at least as regards my own opinion. The facts 

 are these: — On the 16th of April, 1851, I received 

 two pullets, or hens of the first year, first-rate 

 dark speckled Dorkins; for which I fitted up, 

 near the house, a neat and convenient little dwell- 

 ing. This having a small yard attached, had 

 also the benefit of the morning sun. They 

 were well attended to; and for this they were not 

 ungrateful. They yielded me in return, on the 

 average, 10 eggs per week, until the middle of 

 July. But to the present purpose. Before I 

 received them, they had been laying some ten 

 weeks; and all their eggs were fruitful; but 

 as my object with them was not reproduction, 

 I preferred keeping hens only. Observing, 

 however, when the eggs were broken for 

 use, exactly the same appearance, as far as 

 the naked eye could discover — viz., the apparent 

 germ, as shown by eggs really impregnated — it 

 led to the before-mentioned conversation, and 

 the following experiment. On the 31st of May, 

 I took eight of the newest -laid eggs, and placed 

 them in an apparatus, to hatch, or not, as the 

 case might be. They were placed side by side 

 with other eggs, obtained from other sources, 

 and which, in due time (20th and 21st of June), 

 made their appearance as chicks, and are now in 

 my possession; so that the former had precisely 

 the same treatment as the fecundated eggs. The 

 said eggs, Math the others, were examined at the 

 end of five days, and these eight marked as clear; 

 but, to give every chance, they were left in a 

 few days longer, and were then taken out and 

 broken. They all proved clear, as also did others 

 obtained from farm-houses. To prevent any 

 risk of mistake, they were specially marked. 

 The vesicula a'eris was much enlarged; as is 

 usual with eggs which have been placed to hatch 

 for as many days. Of course, they were perfectly 

 sweet, as is the case with all un fecundated eggs. 

 This experiment, I should imagine, would quite 

 settle the point in respect of the common fowl, 

 if such has not been already done. I shall en- 

 deavor, at some future opportunity, to deter- 

 mine the same respecting turkeys. — Walter. 



[The great question yet remains untouched. 

 Is the whole " clutch " of eggs impregnated at 

 once, or is each rendered fruitful day by day? 

 We decidedly incline to the latter belief. It is a 

 thing that might readily be experimented upon ; 

 but our own time being now that of the public, 

 others must do what, in this case, we cannot.] 



A CHAPTER ON AUNTS. 



In our very popular, very useful, and very 

 widely- circulated contemporary, the Family 

 Herald, No. 456, there is one of a series of 

 papers, signed by " The Fly," and called 

 "Aunt Sarah," which tickles our fancy 

 amazingly. We feel bound to add, that all 

 the Essays by the same pen (this forms No. 

 82 of the series) are admirably written, and 



