LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23269, 11 February 1939, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Pigeon Alights on Ship A homing pigeon, white in colour with a grcv neck, has reached the residence of Mrs. M. Crisp, Parua Bay, near Wliangarei. Secured to one leg by a rubber band was the message, "Landed on the Endeavour five miles olf the coast. Fed and watered." H.M.S. Endeavour is engaged in a survey of New Zealand coastal waters.

Series of Collisions While St. Jphn ambulance officers were attending to a boy who had been severely injured as a result of a collision between his bicycle and a motorcycle in Dominion Road yesterday afternoon, two other boy cyclists were knocked over by passing motor-cars at the samo spot. Neither of them was injured. Ambulance officers reported that a crowd collected round the scene of the accident, with little regard for passing traffic at a busy time of day. Radio Beacons Work on the radio beacons which are being installed at Cuvier Island and Moko Hinau is progressing rapidly and the Government lighthouse steamer Matai, which returned from Cuvier Island yesterday, has landed the last of the necessary equipment there. Work is also progressing with the electrification of lights at various points, and these will bo of great assistance to navigation in the gulf, said the master of the Matai, Captain J. W r . Burgess, yesterday. New Biology Block The now biology block, which has been erected for the Auckland I'niversify College at a cost ot £'.'{7,ooo, will lie officially opened by the Minister ot Education, the Hon. P., Kraser, on the afternoon of Monday, February 27. The zoology and botany departments, which were formerly much overcrowded in tho' old science building at 'tho corner of Symonds Street and Alfred Street, have now been transferred to tho new building, which embodies tho most modern ideas of design for its purposo.

Music on World Cruise Wherever she goes, tho American scliooner-yacht Navigator, which arrived from San Pedro yesterday, has music, in addition to the transmitting and receiving apparatus which has kept tho vessel in constant touch with San Francisco throughout the transpacific voyage, the yacht possesses a receiving set operating on the broadcast band. One of the speakers is cunningly concealed i n the saloon, while another portable speaker can be placed on deck to provide music for the helmsman and tho watch on deck during a voyage. Lake Pupuke Water Precautions taken at a quarry in the basin of Lake Pupuke on the North Shore were tho subject of a letter received by the North Shore Boroughs Water Board yesterday from the Birkenhead Borough Council. The letter stated that the council was taking, and would continue to take, all precautions against the contamination of tho lake. Bigid supervision would bo exercised at all times. The chairman of the board, Mr. H. F. W. Meikle, agreed with the expressed opinion of a member, Mr. E. Aldridge, that that was a very (satisfactory assurance. Fire Brigades Busy Fire brigades had a buisy night last night, for in addition to the outbreak in Victoria Street which caused much excitement early in the evening, two other alarms were received. One, which summoned an engine from the Central station and one from Mount Eden to the corner of Mount Eden Jioad and Xormanby Hoad, was a malicious false alarm, while the other was to Bank Street, where there was a small outbreak in a front room of a private residence. The lire was extinguished with the first aid equipment. A portion of the contents of the room was slightlj' damaged. 30th Anniversary of Wreck

Thirty years ago to-morrow the Union Company's steamer Penguin was wrecked in Cook Strait, with the loss of 75 lives. The only woman survivor was Mrs. A. L. Hannain, who has been a resident for some time of Lower Queen Street, Onelumga. She was travelling on the Penguin with her husband and four children and she was tho only one of the family to reach the shore. The wreck occurred shortly after 10 o'clock on the night of February 12, 1909, the Penguin, a vessel of 824 tons engaged on the Nelson-Picton-Wellington run, striking an unknown obstacle near Capo Terewhiti and sinking quickly.

Maori Boy Scouts in Camp The party of 20 Uov Scouts from the Paroa and Poro Poro native school troops now in camp at the Orakei Golf Course arc enjoying their new experience and are thrilled with the sights of city life. Through tbe kindness of the management of the Begcnt Theatre the boys saw the picture "Robin Hood" last night and arrangements have been made for them to visit the 7,00 today and the midget car racing this evening. To-morrow is to be observed as an "at borne" day. An invitation is being extended to visitors and friends to inspect llie camp, where they will be entertained by the boys.

Advertising New Zealand That Mow Zealand is well advertised in New South Wales was an opinion expressed in a private letter received from Mrs. B. J'!. Clianiptaloup of Auckland, who spent a week touring by road in New South Wales before embarking at Sydney for England recently. Mr. and Mrs. Clianiptaloup travelled extensively in the Blue Mountains districts and in every hotel at which they stayed overnight they observed coloured illustrations ot' New Zealand tourist resorts. Mrs. Clianiptaloup stated that these pictures attracted attention and she frequently overheard guests at the hotels expressing tho desire to visit the Dominion. Marine Sliags Shot Proof has come to the Forest and Bird Protection Society that harmless marine slings have been killed by shootists in the belief that all shags are enemies of trout, says a statement issued by tho society. The shag which attacks river trout is the black species. This bird takes some trout, especially tho weaklings, but it is also very fond of eels and other enemies of trout and their ova. Occupants of launches in and about Pelorus Sound havo shot many shags whoso diet js limited to sea-ftsh. Among tho victims are protected species such as the rough-faced shag, which inhabits only a few rocks in Cook Strait; the spotted shag, which does not,—and indeed could not —swallow trout; And the pied