194 THE YOUNG 



land and Durham. This begun some 

 years ago with the Wild Flowers of 

 the District, and ere this was completed 

 ''The Birds of Northumberland and 

 Durham" was begun, and it is now 

 drawing near a close. While this has 

 been going on. The Mammalia and 

 The KeptiHa occurring in the same 

 counties have been completed. Nor 

 are these, articles of only a few words, 

 but a full descriptive account of the 

 various animals is given, their habits, 

 characteristics, and their places of 

 occurrence in these two counties. So 

 far as we know, nothing so complete 

 has been attempted elsewhere in the 

 pages of a newspaper. The other de- 

 partment is totally different, yet is 

 possibly of more value from one point 

 of view. Two columns weekly are 

 set apart for a Children's Corner, the 

 special object being to induce children 

 to join what is called " The Dicky Bird 

 Society." The presiding genius of the 

 corner and founder of this society is a 

 genial old gentleman who calls himself 

 " Uncle Toby," and whose guiding 

 spirit is supposed to be a nondescript 

 member of the feathered tribe called 

 . " Father Chirpie." The society pledges 

 children to be kind to dumb animals 

 and protect them by all means in their 

 power, and nearly 60,000 members 

 ; have been enrolled in it ! The columns 

 are filled with anecdotes of animals, 

 many of them original, observations 

 made by the members, poetry, puzzles, 



NATURALIST. 



&c., &c., but the aim of the society is 

 never lost sight of for a moment. Bird- 

 nesting is forbidden to the members, 

 except that any one forming a collection 

 of eggs, may take one out of any nest 

 found. The young people are encou- 

 raged to put up boxes about their 

 houses and gardens in which birds may 

 build. These are called " Uncle Toby 

 Boxes," and particulars of where they 

 are erected and what birds frequent 

 them is published. From time to time 

 a brief account is given of some well- 

 known animal or bird, and in every 

 way children are encouraged to learn 

 something about the animal world, and 

 to be kind to such as they meet with. 



We recently had sent us a copy of 

 " The City News," a Liverpool paper 

 that appears to desire to follow in the 

 same steps. More than four columns 

 are given of a paper read at the meet- 

 ing of the Lancashire and Cheshire 

 Entomological Society by Mr. E. D. 

 Fish, of Birkenhead, on the question 

 " Is instinct or reason the ruHng prin- 

 ciple in animal life ? " To this paper 

 and the discussion that followed it we 

 may refer on another occasion. " The 

 City News" has also a Notes and 

 Queries column, but it is as yet in its 

 infancy. 



Another paper of almost world-wide 

 repute The Leed^s Meroury, has, we 

 are told, placed a column weekly at the 

 disposal of the Naturalists of that busy 

 town. If papers circulating in large 



