""BRITISH SONG

THE EDITOR TO HIS FRIENDS.

IT IS now several years since we last chatted with some ten thousand of our good and well-tried friends, the Public, in the character of a "London Journalist." We have, nevertheless, been conversing with them from time to time, in OTHER channels, though not (in all of them) avowedly under our signature proper.* We trust, nay firmly believe, we may now number in our train "another ten thousand." This would be "protective." May our "faith" prove the substance of what we "hope" for!

Since the termination of the last Volume of our "London Journal,"-when, it will be remembered, severe illness caused us to lay aside our pen-a new era has sprung up. HABITS have altered; FASHIONS have altered -on which subject we purpose anon to be eloquent; MANNERS have altered. Whether the change in some, or all of these, be for the better, we shall presently inquire.

A variety of circumstances, on which it is unnecessary to dwell here, have prevented until now, our re-appearance before the Public in the first person singular; nor should we now, perhaps, have made such a venture, had it not been to a certain extent "forced" We have however received such kind, such pressing solicitations from all quarters to renew the suspended intimacy, that we see no alternative but to let the

upon us.

New Year be the signal for the réunion. We have thought it advisable to retain the original Title of "Kidd's London Journal," inasmuch as, by it, we formerly became so extensively known. We may remark, en passant, that Six goodly tomes of our "London Journal" are already before the public;

We are at present engaged in furnishing to the

"GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Newspaper, a long and interesting Series of Articles on "BRITISH SONG BIRDS." Of these, Sixty Chapters have already appeared, and the subject will be continued WEEKLY (with our name attached), until completed.

VOL. I.-NEW SERIES.

PRICE 1d.

Or, in Monthly Parts, Price 7d.

which "speak volumes," as they were bound to do, of our handiwork. It is pleasing to find, on diligent inquiry made among the Booksellers, that out of so very many hundreds issued by us, not a single copy of them can now be obtained at any price.

It will be readily surmised, and as fully expected, that Natural History, and the Habits of Animals, will be our principal matters for consideration-including of course Observations on Poultry, Bees, Dogs, Insects, Flowers, Fish, the Cultivation of Gardens, &c., &c.; indeed all those Elegancies, Refinements, and Utilities of life, which have now happily become so attractive and so popular. Correspondence" on these and similar subjects we earnestly covet. Au reste; we can hardly do better than transcribe, almost literally, the Prefatory Remarks which appeared in a former Vo

lume::

"Our object," as we then recorded, "is to render our Paper Amusing as well as Instructive, and to introduce Science in a popular and pleasing form; presenting our readers with CHOICE EXTRACTS from every WORK OF MERIT, new or old, that may come under our observation-not confining ourselves to any limited or particular subjects, but introducing all in turn. Also, to perpetuate in our columns the ESSENCE OF EVERY THING THAT IS GOOD-Instruction and Entertainand Morality keeping her foot firmly fixed ment being rendered inseparable friends, upon the neck of Vice.

(Politics alone excepted), shall escape our "Not a TOPIC of any PUBLIC INTEREST observation, without being commented on; without our voice and pen being cheerfully neither shall any PUBLIC GRIEVANCE exist, and vigorously raised to assist in putting it down. We name this here, in order that it may form a legitimate feature in our Paper when needful.

"One great object with us will be, to gather up in a manner peculiarly our own,

sent, it suddenly jumped upon its legs, and ran away so fast that it baffled all its pursuers!”

Anecdotes of the Habits and Instincts of Animals. By Mrs. R. LEE, Author of "The African Wanderer," &c.-Grant and Griffiths.

We have taken occasion, recently, to deprecate the publication of any anecdotes connected with animals that are not strictly consistent with truth. We feel quite sure that science suffers from it, and that the public faith is shaken by it: so that persons are reluctant to believe what really is true. This volume is filled with anecdotes to "amuse children," and, perhaps, "children of a larger growth." It will "amuse" them, no doubt, and so it has us. Without offering further comment, we subjoin a few specimens by way of "examples," leaving the public to judge between our few remarks, and the "facts" stated. We thought WE knew something about the "instinet" of animals; but the annexed cases puzzle us :"INSTINCT" OF A RAT.-" Rats are nocturnal in their habits, and like to live in sub terranean, or mysterious abodes. They are found in islands lying in the midst of the ocean, till the moment of their discovery to us supposed not to have been visited by man, and yet the question still remains unsettled, whether the differences which exist in rats were caused by locality, or whether they were so from the beginning. There is now no known spot free from the Norway rat, and the greater the number, of course the more impudent they become. In Ceylon, I am told, where they are innumerable, they perch on the top of a chair, or screen, and sit there till something is thrown at them, at which they slowly retreat. A noise is heard in the verandah close by you, and you see a party of rats disputing with a dog for the possession of some object. A traveller in Ceylon saw his dogs set upon a rat, and making them relinquish it, he took it up by the tail, the dogs leaping after it the whole time; he carried it into his diningroom, to examine it there by the light of the lamp, during the whole of which period it remained as if it were dead; limbs hanging, and not a muscle moving. After five minutes he threw it among the dogs, who were still in a state of great excitement; and to the astonishment of all pre

The following also is a very strikingly curious, if

"TRUE" ANECDOTE OF A (SO-CALLED) Dog:— Two ladies, friends of a near relative of my own, from whom I received an account of the " circumstance, were walking in Regent-street, and were accosted by a man who requested them to buy a beautiful little dog, covered with long, white Such things hair, which he carried in his arms. are not uncommon in that part of London, and the ladies passed on without heeding him. He that as it was the last he had to sell, they should followed, and repeated his entreaties, stating, have it at a reasonable price. They looked at the animal; it was really an exquisite little creatook it home for them, received his money, and ture, and they were at last persuaded. The man left the dog in the arms of one of the ladies. A short time elapsed, and the dog, which had been very quiet, in spite of a restless, bright eye, began to show symptoms of uneasiness, and as he ran about the room exhibited some unusual moveAt last, to their great dismay, the new dog ran ments, which rather alarmed the fair purchasers. squeaking up one of the window curtains, so that when the gentleman returned home a few minutes after, he found the ladies in consternation, and right glad to have his assistance. vigorously seized the animal, took out his penknife, cut off its covering, and displayed a large rat to their astonished eyes, and, of course, to its own destruction." (Fact!)

We subjoin two other extracts :—

He

THE RAT AND THE SERPENT.-" One after

noon, the commandant of Bathurst was quietly reading, when he heard a violent squeaking and hissing in the room below him, which was even with the ground, and contained stores. He took the key, and followed by his servants armed with sticks went to ascertain the cause. On opening the door they beheld a rat and a venomous serpent engaged in mortal combat. Nothing could be more beautiful than the action of both animals; the rat had retreated for a moment, and stood with flashing eyes; the head of the serpent was reared to receive a fresh attack; again and again they closed and separated, but the reptile, although much bitten, gained the victory; the rat fell, foamed at the mouth, swelled to a great size, and died in a very few minutes. The serpent glided away, but was afterwards discovered in her nest with several young ones, in a crack of the store-room wall, close to a staircase, which we were in the habit often seen the serpents' heads peeping out, and of descending daily, and where, in fact, I had had waited till they were withdrawn."

"WANT" OF INSTINCT IN THE RAT.-" One evening, when at Bathurst, St. Mary's, I was sitting at work in an upper room, and in the midst of the stillness, heard something breathing close to me. There was no other person in the chamber except my child, who was asleep in bed. Although startled, I did not move, but casting my eyes round I saw a huge rat, sitting upon the table at my elbow,watching every move

ment of my fingers. I could scarcely help laughing at his cool impudence, and suppose I had been too much absorbed by thought, or employment, to notice his approach. I gradually laid down my work, and slipping quietly out of the room, as if I had not perceived him, called the servants. It was supposed that there were nests of rats in the chimney; for the Government House had been wisely provided with the possibility of having fires in the rooms during the rainy season; and the hunt began. I jumped on to the bed, not only to be out of the way, but to keep the rats from the place where my child was. Two of the men, furnished with sticks, routed the enemy from their hiding-places, and four others squatted at the corners of the room, holding a cloth spread between their hands. They said it was most likely the rats would run round the walls, and they should therefore catch them in the open cloth. The event proved them to be right; the frightened animals rushed to them, were immediately enclosed, and their necks were wrung in a moment. After the hunt was ended, they were thrown over the verandah into the garden, to the number of at least fifty. In the morning, however, they were all gone, but the foot-marks of the Genet cats told how they had been removed." Verily, as saith Hamlet, "There are more things in Heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy!"

"Let us now suppose that the chick has opened the door of its egg. Feeble trembler, on the verge of an unknown state of existence! what are its sensations? Had it but reason, how applicable to it would be Buffon's eloquent description of man, springing up at the bidding of his Creator into life and light, at once enraptured, perplexed, and bewildered. But the chick is guided by instinct, and by instinct alone; it has nothing to learn, no ideas to be conceived through the medium of the senses, and yet it is interesting to watch it at this juncture. It is free; the first thing it does, while yet on the threshold of the egg, is to draw its head from under its wing, and to direct it forwards, the neck trembling beneath the weight which it has now for the first time to sustain. With its neck stretched forwards, and scarcely able to raise itself on its legs, it rests for a few minutes, till its strength be recruited; the fresh air revives it, it raises itself up, it lifts its head, it turns its neck from side to side, and begins to feel its innate powers. Its downy plumage, the precursor of feathers, being wet with the fluid of the egg, lies close to the skin, in stripes down the body and on the wings; besides, it is not yet fairly free from the sheath in which every plumelet is inclosed. As it dries, flower; the little membranous sheaths split, and every tuft expands, or opens, like a feathery fall off; and the chick rises in its nest, clothed with a downy garment of exquisite delicacy."

Charles Knight.

In Mr. Charles Knight we have an excellent ally. No sooner are we in the field to try and open a cheap weekly communication with the public on the various domestic conveniences and elegancies of every day life, than we find material fitted to our hand, ready at command; and at so cheap a rate too!

This little brochure is one of a series of 12; which, when completed, will form three handsome volumes. They will comprise, The Dictionary of the Farm, the Dairy, the Piggery, the Stable, the Sheepfold, Kitchen Garden, Flower Garden, &c. &c.

We never remember to have met with a better work on poultry than this; nor with one so correctly illustrated. The wood-cuts are admirable; the arrangement of the matter is excellent: all breeds of Poultry are enumerated and commented upon, and very sensible remarks made about their proper care and management; also, ample directions are given for their cure when ill. Then we have, inter alia, an interesting discussion on the whole race of doves and pigeons; and as much practical information afforded on each subject as is usually confined to large volumes. Such books as these must become popular. In justice to the author, we select a specimen of his descriptive and attractive style. Speaking of the exodus of a newly-hatched chick from the shell, he says:—

Daughters. By Grace Aguilar. 4th edition. 12mo.

The Mother's Recompense; A Sequel to the Above. By the same author. Second edition. 12mo.-Groombridge and Sons. Grace Aguilar, now no more, was, while she lived, a wonder amongst women. Before she attained the age of 19, we are told, she had completed the structure of these two admirable volumes. We say admirable, because their conception and execution are alike happy. They are written with a fervour of feeling, eloquence of expression, and power of argument, quite irresistible. Full of love for mankind, and anxious by her pen to consult their best interests, we have, wrought up in these two volumes, all that we can conceive of human excellence conveyed by both precept and example.

Home Influence" is a tale possessed not only of a charming moral, showing how impossible it is to be truly happy without continuing in the paths of rectitude and uprightness; but it is written with a nervous energy, and in graceful language, which are quite captivating. Happy they, who have a kind and affectionate parent so to direct them in the "Battle of Life!"

"The Mother's Recompense is another book equally well written, and by the same pen, and forms a suitable companion to its predecessor, "Home Influence." Happy parent, again say we, to live to see the fruit