Two Perfect Chickens from One Egg.— I really 

 think the following ought to be recorded in your 

 Journal, and as such, I send it you. It is 

 copied from the Aberdeen Journal " A lady, 

 residing at Woodside, near Aberdeen (we have 

 her name), has had a hen sitting on common 

 hen's eggs, and out of one of them have issued 

 two chickens, completely formed in every part. 

 They did not live, which, under the circum- 

 stances, may be considered unfortunate." Do 

 you, Mr. Editor, regard this as a remarkable 

 occurrence? — D. W., Aberdeen. 



[We do regard this as a " remarkable occur- 

 rence." We have heard such things spoken of, 

 but never witnessed them. There must have 

 been two yolks, both with an embryo. This turns 

 our philosophy upside-down. As these produc- 

 tions never live after their birth, there exists a 

 mystery which is incomprehensible.] 



The Chimney- Swallow a Cage Bird. — I have 

 now a common chimney swallow, which I have 

 succeeded in keeping through the winter. Is this 

 not an extraordinary circumstance ? — H. H. 



[It is indeed a most remarkable instance of per- 

 severance crowned by success. As the principles 

 of our Journal are truly liberal, may we ask 

 you to detail, at your leisure, what peculiar mode 

 of treatment you adopted with the swallow, to 

 keep him in good health ? It will interest many 

 hundreds of persons to peruse an extract from 

 your note-book.] 



Distemper in Dogs.— In your most interesting 

 and useful Journal, I find mention made of the 

 " distemper " in dogs. Could you give me some 

 information as to the proper mode of treating 

 them after this most distressing disease? — 

 whether they ought to have plenty of medicine, 

 or otherwise, and of what kind ? I have a very 

 valuable sporting spaniel, eleven months old, 

 who, not being attended to in time, owing to my 

 ignorance of the symptoms, has, though in other 

 respects cured, a most unpleasant and constant 

 starting of the limbs. This seems to proceed 

 from a throbbing in the loins, as if the seat of the 

 affliction was in the intestines. It is called in 

 France the " tic," and is of the same nature, I 

 am told, as the " St. Vitus's Dance." I sincerely 

 hope you will have it in your power to give me 

 some advice, through the medium of the con- 

 tributors to your Journal; as, otherwise, it will 

 not be possible to keep him as a " pet " (though 

 they are equally good for sporting). As, how^ 

 ever, I much wish to keep him, any information 

 on the subject will be most welcome. — E. C. B., 



Rouen, 5 th April, 1852. 



Proper Green Food adapted for various Song- 

 birds, etc.— As a lover of birds, I would offer 

 some hints to your readers on the weeds best 

 suited to their tastes— agreeing with you that 

 there is a great pleasure in bringing home 

 something from our walks which may cheer and 

 please our little prisoners. My birds being 

 accustomed to it, always receive a portion of 

 green food daily — Summer and Winter. Those 

 which have not been so liberally treated may not 

 bear it. All changes of diet must be gradual. 

 At the head of the list of weeds, I should place 



knot-grass (Polygonum aviculare.) Its name 

 indicates that it is "bird-seed;" though the 

 English name is deceptive. It is not a grass, 

 but a low, leafy, knotted, branched herb, bearing 

 pinkish-white flowers at each joint, followed by 

 triangular black seeds. It ripens in autumn, is 

 found by waysides, near gateways, among 

 rubbish, and it abounds in stubble fields: where 

 flocks of birds, whose bills are too weak to crack 

 large grain, are often accused of plundering the 

 corn-field, they are actually weeding. The 

 linnet almost lives on this plant. Canaries, 

 bullfinches, greenfinches, red-poles, aberdevines, 

 etc., etc., rejoice in it. Sheperd's -purse, {Thlaspi 

 Bursa Pastoris) well known; grass seeds (espe- 

 cially Poa annua for canaries) for all birds; 

 dandelion seeds and leaves; thistle; dock (bull- 

 finches) ; plantain ; chickweeel ; groundsel. Of 

 these, the bullfinch prefers shepherd's •• purse, 

 knot-grass, dandelion, plantain, chickweed, 

 groundsel, and dock, and will be most thankful 

 for a sprig of buds from hawthorn, or almost 

 any tree or shrub. The black-thorn now pre- 

 sents flower -buds, but the leaf- buds will be 

 eaten with pleasure and advantage. The green- 

 finch also delights in buds. Probably some of 

 the ailing bullfinches for whom you are consulted, 

 might be benefited by a sprig or two. Squirrels, 

 by the way, have the same taste. Thistle seeds 

 should be collected for goldfinches. Most gardens 

 have lettuces enough, "running away," to stock 

 a parish; and if a few plants are allowed to 

 ripen seed, it will be found very valuable to the 

 aviary. Water -cress, too, is good. I can always 

 find a leaf of dandelion, or a head of grass-seed, 

 in winter, which keeps my birds in health, Of 

 course, all greens should be gathered dry, and 

 given fresh. All cages should have one part 

 covered for shade as well as for screen from 

 draughts. Birds seek the covert of trees during 

 the heat of the day; though they sun themselves 

 for a time. It is cruel to hang their cage in the 

 full glare of light and sunshine without giving 

 the poor captive the power of escape to a shady 

 corner; and almost equally cruel to put him 

 within sight of abundant green food, yet neglect 

 to gather a leaf to gratify the longing thus 

 excited. — A Lover of all Creation. 



[You are rather too indiscriminate in recom- 

 mending the wholesale and general use of "buds 

 from any tree." Let us qualify this, by advising 

 the use of those seeds of plants only which you 

 have more minutely particularised. As you have 

 not sent us your name and address, we might, 

 should any " death" ensue from following these 

 instructions, be brought in particeps criminis at 

 all events, and punished accordingly.] 



Will Nightingales breed in Confinement? — As 

 the nightingale has just paid us another of his 

 annual visits, the following experiment which I 

 made on the possibility of their being induced to 

 breed in cages, may be interesting to the admirers 

 of that first of song-birds. During the winter of 

 1844, I made preparation, by having a cage con- 

 structed, four feet long by three high. To each 

 end of this I attached a common canary breeding- 

 cage; leaving a small aperture for communication. 

 In the centre cage, I placed a small Scotch fir- 

 tree, growing in a flower-pot; and covered the 



