KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



327 



very plentiful in grass-fields, may be pro- 

 cured in great abundance, and kept in pots 

 of turfy earth through the winter. Give each 

 bird one or two a-day according as the stock 

 holds out. This will keep them in excel- 

 lent health. Common maggots also, in the 

 larva?- or pupa state, they are very fond of; 

 also spiders, earwigs, crickets, and various 

 other insects. Birds caught early in the 

 spring, if put in an aviary with other tame 

 ones, will sing in a few days. Those caught 

 during the latter part of summer, will 

 begin singing in November, if young ones ; 

 but the old ones will seldom begin till 

 February. One that I caught in August 

 began singing in November, and left off 

 again about the middle of December. At 

 the end of the same month, it began again, 

 and sang continually all day long against a 

 whitethroat that strived with all its might 

 to outdo it. 



Under the head " Nightingale," Mr. 

 Sweet says, in his Appendix : — " Since I have 

 published my account of this species, I have 

 had a female which built a nest in the cage, 

 in a small work-basket put in on purpose. 

 She laid three eggs, and sat on them till 

 she was almost starved, as the male bird 

 would not feed her. She then threw the 

 eggs out, and broke them. Both the male 

 and female were only one-year old birds ; 

 and I have no doubt, they would have bred 

 in confinement, had they been kept together 

 another season. But I parted with the 

 female to a gentleman who particularly 

 wished to have it. I have since had a 

 female several years, but it has never at- 

 tempted to build ; which I believe is owing 

 to its being an old bird when first caught. 

 Some authors give it as their opinion, that 

 the female of this species sings ; but T 

 have never heard one make the least at- 

 tempt, though I have frequently kept them 

 several years." 



Note. — The generic and specific name now 

 given to the Nightingale, is Philomela Luscinia. 

 — E. C, Liverpool. 



[At the moment of going to press, we have 

 received a polite note from Mr. H. G. Bohn, 

 telling us that beholds the copyright of " Sweet's 

 Warblers," from which, interwoven with notes 

 of our own, we have recently made a few 

 random extracts. We hardly need observe that 

 we were totally ignorant of the existence of any 

 such copyright, and that we should be the last 

 person in the world to invade the property of 

 another. Whilst apologising for our little trans- 

 gression, and promising to sin no more, let us 

 hope that we have assisted rather than pre- 

 judiced the forthcoming new edition of Mr. 

 Sweet's book, which we shall welcome as hear- 

 tily as anybody. 



It is worthy of note, that the individual who 

 has "informed" against us, has ever professed 

 himself to be the warmest " friend" to our 

 Journal ! " Save us from such friends !"] 



The "Woman's Elevation League. 



Such is the name given to a New Society of 

 Ladies and Gentlemen, established for the direct 

 purpose of ameliorating the at present degraded 

 portion of industrious and deserving Women; 

 many of whom, by the existing rules of life, are 

 unduly oppressed, and have no means of seeing 

 themselves righted. 



The Prospectus issued is a sensible one; and 

 if the objects sought to be gained, be ultimately 

 arrived at, great will be the benefits derived by the 

 parties so largely interested in the matter. We 

 heartily wish them abundant success. We 

 subjoin, one of the examples given in the Pro- 

 spectus, of " cause and effect ;" and also the pro- 

 posed remedy : — 



" Immorality and Crime are frequently pro- 

 duced by ignorance and poverty; and these evils 

 exist to a frightful extent, as consequences of in- 

 sufficient REMUNERATION FOR FEMALE LABOR 

 in the few departments to which Avoman is ad- 

 mitted, and her exclusion from others for which 

 she is qualified, or, would become so, were oppor- 

 tunities and inducements presented. 



" The League, irrespective of Sex, demands 

 compensation for labor according to the 

 value given — education, scope, and remunera- 

 tion sufficiently ample for rendering each 

 Daughter able to sustain herself — that marriage 

 may result from affection, and be less frequently 

 an arrangement merely for maintenance." 



The position in society of Governesses in par- 

 ticular (who are expected to know everything, 

 and impart it for nothing), calls loudly for altera- 

 tion. Superior though nine-tenths of them are 

 to the persons who employ them to instruct their 

 children, yet do they live the lives of perse- 

 cuted slaves; whilst their remuneration (if such 

 it may be called) hardly exceeds, if indeed 

 it equals, the commonest " wages" of a hireling 

 porter. The higher classes may look down with 

 supreme contempt on sterling worth in the 

 middle classes, if they so will; and wealth may 

 aid the " lofty" feeling, — but give us, say we, 

 the enjoyment resulting from social converse 

 with the despised but amiable race of Gover- 

 nesses, and other equally excellent women. 

 They have " that within which passeth show;" 

 and our pen shall eternally befriend them. 



Infatuation. — The price to be given for the 

 Crystal Palace by the City speculators is, say 

 the newspapers, £70,000. Since the contract 

 was entered into, the purchasers have, we are told, 

 been tempted by still higher offers than that for 

 their bargain ; but have refused ; though by the 

 sum proffered them, they would realise a hand- 

 some profit. It is intended to re-erect the palace 

 in the neighborhood of London; and sites have 

 been surveyed at Wimbledon, at Battersea, and 

 at Sydenham. None has, however, been decided 

 on. It is agreed on all hands, that a pretty hot- 

 bed of temptation and moral depravity is pre- 

 paring for the million. However, the more 

 remote the building, the better; say we. Hyde 

 Park, at least, will be safe; and with it, our own 

 neighborhood. 



