"FIRST AID" BY A DUCHESS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10150, 24 September 1898, Page 7

"FIRST AID" BY A DUCHESS.

A youDg lady was recently knocked down near Nottingham by a swerving horse, her ankle being iniured. A lady and gentleman at once alighted from an adjacent 'carriage, and most kindly proffered every possible assistance. They proved to be the Duke and Duchess of Portland., The Duchess deftly bandaged up the injured ankle.

COMPULSORY PATERNITY.

In order to keep up the population of Madagascar, vigorous measures are to come into force with the beginning of next year. After that date every man of twenty-five years who is not a father of a child, whether legitimate or illegitimate, will have to pay an annual tax of 15 francs, while single or childless young women over twentyfive years will have to pay half the amount.

"WHO DONE IT?"

At an elementary examination in English, which was lately held in school near New York, two sentences were given out to be corrected. The first sentence was to be corrected as to its subject matter, and the second sentence as to its syntax. These were the sentences:—-"The hen.has three legs." "Who done it?" When the papers were handed in it was found that one of the examinees had apparently regarded the sentences as subtly connected in thought, for his answer was as follows:—"Thelien didn't done it; God done it."

MAIDENS FOR AFRICAN COLONIES.

Major Leutwein has impressed on the German Emperor and the Colonial authorities (says a Berlin correspondent) the danger ot the German Colonists in Africa rapidly becoming a race of half-breeds. A company of maidens who are desirous oi emigrating to the German Colonies of Africa, with a view of marrying there, is being assembled. The first detachment will go to German South-West Africa. This reminds one of those shiploads of-buxom young Englishwomen who sailed from England to Virginia in the early Colonial days to become the wives of the Southern settlers.

"FAIRY RINGS."

The Victorian Department of Agriculture has published a report by Mr D. McAlpine, the pathologist, on "fairy rings" and the fairy ring puff-ball, a fungus which produces a curious disease in lawns and grass plots, forming decayed areas in the shape of large rings. The disease is found in bowling greens around Melbourne, and on the lawns at Flemington racecourse and in front of the lawn at Caulfield course, and the germs have boen carried to at least ono public park. This is its first appearance in Australia, and, as it is easily transmitted, the matter is of considerable importance. The name of " fairy rings " owes its origin to an old belief in the Mother Country that the riugs were caused by some supernatural agency, and that fairies held their midnight revels within these circles. The rings begin small and increase in size. At Prahran bowling green, where they were first notiocd seven or eight years the largest is 24 feet in diameter, and they may go to 300 feet.

A REMARKABLE INCIDENT.

A very curious phenomenon was witnessed from the deck of the steamer Pania during her last trip from Wellington to Blenliiim. While crossing the straits, the night being beautifully clear, and the "Brothers" lighthouse about twelve miles to the north-west, a strange light was seen to appear at short intervals in the water around the vessel, at a depth of several fathoms. The illumination was very conspicuous, so much so that at first the man at the wheel thought it was something tangible, and tried to keep the steamer clear of it. It remained visible for over twenty minutes, appearing first in one place and then another. The officers came to the conclusion that the light was a reflection from the "Brothers" lighthouse refracted by the snow on the hills away to the south of the Wairau Valley. This is doubtless the correct explanation. The "Brothers"' light is a flash light, appearing at intervals. The reflection in the water was visible aftei each disappearance of the rays from the lighthouse; and the vessel must have been in the exact line of refraction.

MAN "VERY SMALL POTATOES."

It is one of the delusions of the human race that it occupies a somewhat important space in creation. The writer of an ingenious series of arithmetical articles in the "Strand Magazine" set himself to work to prove that, to use a familiar vulgarism, "Man is very small potatoes indeed." There are 1,480,000,000 human beings on this planet, and the whole lot could be tucked away in a remarkably small compass. For example, every living person could be contained hi a square common less than twentytwo miles each way, each person having a square yard to stand on. Or the 1480 million persons each could occupy a square yard of standing room in Bedfordshire, and then only fill up two-thirds of that county. They could be tucked away down in Radnorshire, by a little squeezing, and leave all the rest of the world empty. Even the Isle of Man Mould hold nearly one-half of the world's population at one person to the square yard. This fighting, struggling, white and red, black and tan, good and bad, very much mixed population of 1480 millions could be packed in a cubic box measuring 1140 yds in height, each person being allowed 27 cubic feet of room inside such box, and the box itself could be deposited when full in Battersea Park with a squeeze, in Victoria Park with ample room to spare, or in Hyde Park and not occupy much more than onethird of the ground space of that park.

WHERE HE LEARNED TO STEER.

The following incident will give some idea of the fusion of classes in the crews of the American vessels during the late war. The crew of the "_ankee" was made up largely from New York's naval, reserve. One of these was one day doing his trick at the wheel. Commander Brownson came along and, after watching him for a few minutes, said: "You steer very well, my man." Billy just saluted, being upon naval etiquette. "Been practising since you joined the ship?" asked Brownson. "No, sir; I haven't been practising much," said Billy. "Well, you nandle this ship as though you d steered befora" "Yes, sir; I have." "Where, said Brownson. "All along the Atlantic coast," said Jomy. "What did you steel-?" asked Brownson. "My own steam yacht, sir." "How big is she?''' said Brownson, after a pause. "About a thousand tons, sir," said Billy. "I—l. see," said Brownson. "Thankee, sir," said, Billy, saluting. And the "old man" went to his state-room. ..'*'.

A TURKEY'S ENDURANCE.

A Waerenga-o-kuri resident informs the "Poverty Bay Herald" of a remarkable case which occurred there, showing the ability of a turkey to endure starvation. On July 9th a turkey belonging to a local resident was missed, and on September 11th the owner, hearing a scratching noise near his house, turned over a number of cases piled up there, and discovered the turkey imprisoned under a ease, which must have fallen on it on the date it was misaed. The creature was just boue and feathers after its long imprisonment of 63 days, but it survived, and is now picking up. From the way in which the ground was disturbed it appeared to have eaten about a couple of handfuls of mud.