KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



2G7 



direct upwards to a great height, so that 

 they can direct their course the better by 

 seeing the way clear all round them. Their 

 agitation generally lasts on them about a 

 fortnight, sometimes more and sometimes 

 less. In the Spring it seems the strongest 

 on them ; at that season they will sometimes 

 flutter about the whole of the night, and 

 sleep a great part of the day. 



The best method of catching the birds of 

 this genus, is with the common nightingale 

 trap, baited with living insects. When they 

 are first caught, they must be fed with insects 

 or fruit according to their species ; but they 

 will soon learn to eat the other food, by 

 sticking in sects or fruit in it so that they 

 once taste it. If they are put in with tame 

 birds, they will sooner get reconciled to 

 their confinement, or if two or three wild 

 ones are put together, they will do much 

 better than a single one. When first caught, 

 the cage in which they are kept should be 

 darkened, all but a little light for their food, 

 or they will be apt to beat themselves very 

 much, and not be so likely to do well. It is 

 certainly a good plan to keep several 

 together, particularly in Winter ; as they 

 will set close together on their perch at 

 night, and by that means keep each other 

 warm. Young birds of any of this genus 

 may be bred up by hand, if the nests are 

 taken as soon as the birds are fledged ; they 

 may be fed on the same kind of food recom- 

 mended for the old ones ; feeding them as 

 often as they chirp for food, and giving them 

 as much as they will take readily each time ; 

 not forgetting to let a drop or two of clean 

 Avater fall into their mouths frequently. 

 A neglect in this, I believe to be the only 

 reason that so few people can rear young 

 birds. Those bred in this way are very 

 tame and familiar, but I do not think them 

 so hardy as those that are caught wild. 



Note. — Should any of your readers not know 

 what a nightingale trap is, — it is a long narrow 

 board, say 3j inches by 24 or 30, on which, 

 near the centre, a hoop of strong wire covered 

 with green thread net, acts on a spring. 

 The net is kept open by means of a string- 

 to the centre of it, passing back through a 

 staple at the end of the board, then under- 

 neath the spring of the net to a small point 

 of wire in the centre of the net (when down), 

 where it is made to catch, by having a piece of 

 tin with a hole (to fit over the point) attached 

 to it. On the tin, a cork is fixed so that the 

 mealworms, &c, may be pinned on to it, when 

 the bird by trying to get the insect, disengages 

 the tin off the point, and the spring brings the 

 net over it. Many of this tribe merely require 

 the ground to be turned up ; and the trap (which 

 should be painted green) set on it. They are 

 soon down to seek food in the fresh earth, see 

 the bait, and easily get caught. — E. C. 



(7b 6e Continued.) 



GOLD FISH. 



We are always in the right path when 

 cultivating a nearer acquaintance Avith 

 nature; and whether we find delight in 

 domestic floriculture — ■ in nursing useful 

 vegetables and herbs — in tying up the fra- 

 grant honeysuckle, that trails its summer 

 blossoms round our cottage porch — or in 

 carefully tending a glass bowl of gold fish, 

 there is a continual joy for all who cling to 

 the beautiful ; and the soul ennobling voice of 

 Nature will ever speak in musical tones to 

 the ear of her patient listener. As an orna- 

 ment and graceful link of beauty in the 

 adornments of a cottage parlor, a neat globe 

 of gold fish seems to be associated with our 

 pleasant fancies of pleasant things and happy 

 homes. It is now more than a century 

 since Thomas Gray wrote his " Ode on the 

 Death of a favorite Cat, drowned in a Tub 

 of Gold Fishes ; " but one descriptive verse 

 retains its hold on our memory whenever we 

 see the golden gentles with their transparent 

 fins : — 



" Still had she gazed, but, 'midst the tide 

 Two angel forms were seen to glide, 



The Genii of the stream ; 

 Their scaly armor's Tyrian hue, 

 Through richest purple to the view 

 Betrayed a golden gleam." 



So many are the modes of treating gold 

 fish, that it seems useless for us to set up 

 any rule for feeding and preserving them, 

 more than what discretionary ability and 

 experience may suggest. Great care should 

 be used in taking them out of the bowl, that 

 their fins be not damaged ; for by them the 

 fish balances itself in the water, and keeps 

 its back upwards — by the tail it moves for- 

 ward. The larger silken-threaded fins, if 

 broken, injure the animal for some time, and 

 indeed, too often cause death. These beauti- 

 fully-coated creatures of the finny tribe, are 

 the Cyprinus auratus, of Linnaeus, and belong 

 to the carp variety. They are not, as some 

 people have asserted, indigenous to this 

 kingdom, but were brought from China and 

 Japan about two hundred years ago. Among 

 the most strange notions of cultivating a 

 knowledge of the habits of the finny 

 foreigners, is to place them in a most un- 

 natural position, with a bird in the hollow 

 centre of the bowl or globe ! This may be 

 called a fanciful way, it is certainly anything 

 but natural. Too much care cannot be ex- 

 ercised in changing the water, and this will 

 be all the better without a varied mineral 

 impregnation. A net (and not the naked 

 hand), should be used for this purpose. If 

 the fish have a relish for crumbs of bread, 

 these should be given at regular periods, 

 and the water changed before the bread has 

 been in long enough to sour it, or this may 



