
KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 
53 

hen with the goldfinch. They have built twice, 
had eggs twice, and sat twice. But all in 
vain, no young were hatched! I have tried a 
young cock goldfinch, and a young hen canary. 
They have built, laid, sat, twice. Still, all the 
eges bad. How is this?—A. L. Furman, Port- 
land Place. 
[You should never attempt to breed from old 
birds. It is useless—time thrown away. Gold- 
finches often break the eggs. They are very mis- 
chievous birds. All your hen birds are evidently 
unfruitful. You did wrong to let them sit beyond 
a fortnight. It weakens them. Get rid of all 
your stud, and try again next season. Apply to 
Crirrorp, 24, Great St. Andrew Street, Holborn. 
He will supply you at an easy rate, and not let 
you have any birds but those which can be de- 
pended on. Consult him, too, about your cages, 
and the proper place to fix and suspend them in. 
Allthese things are important. Weare really sorry 
to hear of your disappointments, after taking so 
much trouble. By the way, it would be a pity 
to part with the two tame birds you speak of 
at the end of your note. Though not adapted for 
the breeding-cage, they will be nice companions. ] 

Ash-colored Parrot, with Bad Habits — About 
two months since, I purchased an ash-colored 
parrot, it being at the time I purchased it nearly 
denuded of its feathers. I learnt, on inquiry, 
that for the last three years it had been fed on 
hemp-seed, milk, and bread. This diet I have 
now eutirely altered; substituting, in its stead, 
bread soaked in boiled milk, and a little ripe 
fruit. Still it continues to pluck out its feathers ; 
and within the last few days, it has bitten all the 
red feathers in the tail close off at the stump. It 
has also taken to a very bad habit of re-produc- 
ing in its mouth the food previously swallowed. 
This it does whenever I speak to it; and I appre- 
hend it is a token (though a most disagreeable 
one), of pleasure at being noticed. Can you tell 
me how I shall cure either or both of these bad 
habits ?—W. 8. F., Devon. 
[Will you please to turn to the article on 
“ Parrots,” at page 64, Vol. ILI. of our Journat. 
We quite lean towards the argument of Dr. Mor- 
Ris, therein introduced, as to the cause of this irri- 
tability. It is all but incurable, as the bird is 
never free from suffering. Never give it any meat, 
or feed it “ high,” and keep it in a very cheerful 
situation. On an elevated stand in the garden, 
would be a nice spot. Constant change of scene 
might distract the bird’s attention, and so cure 
him of his fidgetty habits; but if the cause still 
continues, there will be a recurrence of the evil. 
We fear the other bad habit is equally difficult of 
cure. ‘There is no way of convincing these ani- 
mals they are doing wrong. Unlike the dog in 
every respect, they mechanically obey the im- 
pulse of the moment; and if they drop one bad 
habit, it is too often to replace it by another. The 
tribe of parrots is completely sud generis. We 
have very many consultations about them, and 
most of the owners tell one and the same tale. 
We would most gladly help you if we could.] 

Animal and Vegetable Sensation—How many 
species of sensation Nature has created, it is im- 
possible to conjecture. 

analogy, it is evident there are at least two—the 
vegetable and the animal. Some extend sensation 
even to minerals ; and, according to them, earths 
have a less perfect sensation than bitumen and 
sulphur. These yield to metals—metals to vitriols 
—vitriols to lower salts. These to lower species 
of crystallisation—and those to what are called 
stones. The mineral is connected to the vegetabie 
world by the amianthes and lytophies. Here a 
new species of sensation begins—a sensation pzr- 
taking of the united qualities of mineral and vege- 
table, having the former in a much greater degree 
than the latter. Vegetable is more acute than 
mineral sensation; therefore more delicate. Its 
degrees and qualities aspire in regular order, from 
the root to the moving plant. The polypus unites 
plants to insects. The tube-worm seems to con- 
nect insects with shells and reptiles. ‘The sea- 
eel and the water-serpent connect reptiles with 
fishes. The flying-fish forms the link between 
fishes and birds—bats associate quadrupeds with 
birds—and the various gradations of monkeys and 
apes fill up the space between quadrupeds and 
men.—LEcTor. 

Gentle Words and Loving Hearts.—No apology 
need be offered to the readers of ouR OWN 
Journau for asking insertion for the following :— 
A youne rose in the summer time 
Is beautiful to me, 
And glorious the many stars 
That glimmer on the sea; 
But gentle words and loving hearts, 
» And hands to clasp my own, 
Are better than the fairest flowers 
Or stars that ever shone. 
The sun may warm the grass to life, 
The dew the drooping flower, 
And eyes grow bright and watch the light 
Of autumn’s opening hour : 
But words that breathe of tenderness, 
And smiles we know are true, 
Are warmer than the summer time, 
And brighter than the dew. 
It is not much the world can give, 
With all its subtle art, 
And gold and gems are not the things 
To satisfy the heart ; 
But oh, if those who cluster round 
The altar and the hearth, 
Have gentle words and loving smiles, 
How beautiful is earth ! 

Fixperiments with the ‘ Sensitive Plant.”— 
The Journal de Loiret states, that Dr. Breton- 
neau, of Tours, has subjected the sensitive plant 
to the influence of chloroform. and that whilst 
under its influence, the leaves were perfectly 
insensible to any touch. The Journal adds, that 
the same experiment was lately tried at Orleans 
on a sensitive plant. One flower having been 
subjected to the action of chloroform, never moved 
when being cut to pieces, whilst another flower on 
the same stem closed up the moment the hand 
came near it.—Euiza D. 

Ranunculuses in Winter—To have Ranun- 
But by all the rules of | culuses in bloom in winter, the bulbs are planted, 


