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KIDD'S JOURNAL. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Communications Received.— J. IT. B., Dublin, We are 

 again thwarted ! You say you enclose your name 

 and address. We cannot find it. However, we thank 

 you for your kind letter. — C. M. Thanks; but we 

 have no available room. — G. T. Try the same bird 

 again. One season makes a great difference. — G. H. 

 You will see you are not forgotten. — E. M. J., Guernsey. 

 Next week.— W. Hunt. Thanks. -J. A. B. Next 

 week.— Ella. Next week.— C. O. H. Thanks. Next 

 week.— T. B. Ryder. At an early day.— A Well Wisher. 

 In our next. 



Correspondents sending in any " facts" connected with 

 Science or Natural History, are requested in every 

 case to append their names and places of abode. In no 

 instance, however, will their names be published with- 

 out their express sanction. 



Private Letters. — Of these we daily receive such 

 immense quantities, that we must really beg the 

 writers to excuse our not replying to them ; our time 

 being overwhelmingly occupied with Public duties. 



To obtain this Paper without any difficulty, our readers 

 need only order it to be sent to them by any of their 

 local Booksellers or Newsvendors. It is published 

 simultaneously with all the other weekly periodicals. 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



Saturday, May 15, 1852. 



With the completion of our Fifth 

 Part, and the issuing of our 20th Number, 

 it will be expected that we shall, as usual, 

 say a few words by way of a " Monthly 

 Address " to those who live remote from our 

 great city. 



Many private inquiries have been insti 

 tuted, as to our past, present, and future 

 movements ; and much kind anxiety prevails 

 to know if we prosper and if we are likely to 

 " go on ? '' Of the first, all has been said that 

 needs be said ; and we have pointed out our 

 oppressors. The third very much hinges on 

 the second ; and the second is in the hands 

 of our friends — the Public. 



That a periodical like our Journal, ad- 

 dressing itself as it does, more or less, to 

 nearly every respectable family of intelli- 

 gence in the kingdom, ought to flourish, 

 appears undeniable ; that it does not do so 

 to the extent we desire (we would, for the 

 present, be content with " costs out of 

 pocket ") is, alas, too true ! Discussing the 

 why and the wherefore a few days since, 

 with an intelligent citizen of the world, his 

 reply was — " If you really wish to make your 

 Journal sell, and to get it patronised by the 

 country booksellers (who ridicule natural 

 history, and all such matters), it is imperative 

 that you embrace police reports, murders, 

 the wildest of tales and romances, in their 

 fullest details, and all the horrible events of 

 the week. These, too, ought to be illustrated 

 with woodcuts and fac -similes of the assas- 

 sinated victims. Your success would then 

 be immediate and complete." 



That this is a true picture of society at 



large, we are constrained, from observation, 

 to admit ; and our friend's remark was 

 perfectly just. We evidently do write for the 

 choice few — not for the many. Our offence, 

 it seems, lies in our loving the fair side of 

 nature, and trying to make others love it 

 too ! That we have succeeded in this even 

 to the extent Ave have, appears little short 

 of a miracle. What is proved hereby? We 

 shudder to draw the correct but obvious 

 inference ! 



It was hinted when we first started, that 

 true lovers of nature were a small body of 

 individuals ; and unable to support a work 

 like ours ; possessed of the kindest hearts 

 indeed, themselves, but unable to make 

 others participate in their feelings. We have 

 found it so ; though we confess to have been 

 more liberal in our notions then, than we 

 are now. Plow true it is that " early edu- 

 cation makes or mars us ! " At all events, 

 let the issue of our little venture be what it 

 may — and we are ardent as ever — it will 

 always give us the most lively pleasure 

 to have secured by it the countenance and 

 friendship of some of the best of men ; and 

 to know that our sentiments and feelings are 

 responded to by very many of the most es- 

 timable families in the kingdom. Our defeat 

 will not be an inglorious one, under any 

 circumstances. 



We remarked, some time since, that if 

 every one of our present subscribers were 

 kind enough to procure us only two others, 

 our requirements would be satisfied. Many 

 have exceeded this ; others, more lukewarm, 

 have used no exertions. Thus the matter 

 rests. Though not a richer, we are certainly 

 a " wiser " man than we were ! 



For ourselves, the work of our hands is 

 before the public. A short time now will de- 

 cide how long we are to keep each other's 

 company. If they rejoice as we do in the 

 beauties of the coining seasons, and love to 

 see recorded the various operations of 

 Nature, they will stand by us. AVe have 

 fulfilled all our promises so far, and are 

 prepared to exceed them if we receive en- 

 couragement ; but we cannot, and will not 

 swerve from the professed principles of our 

 Journal, by pandering to the depraved 

 feelings and appetites of " the multitude." 



It is worthy of record in a Periodical 

 like ours, which will be referred to hereafter, 

 that the first genial rains of Spring did not 

 visit us this year until the evening of Wed- 

 nesday, April 21 ! Such a lengthened season 

 of drought as preceded these rains, at this 

 particular season of the year, lives not in 

 the memory of the " oldest inhabitant." 



We hardly need mention, with what glee 

 we paid an early visit to the gardens and 



