General News

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22304, 19 January 1938, Page 8

General News

Youths and Rifles The chances of accidents from irresponsible vouths shooting in riverbeds were increasing every 5 year, saki Mr F. W Pellett curatorraneer to the South Canterbury Acclimatisation® Society yesterday. The danger was always greaSr during the school Holiday, he said a „d action was necessary to combat it Boys und 21 vears did not appreciate the danger or in]ur ing other parties, and should be prohibited from usfng rifles. —“The Press” Special Service. A Natural History Episode 1 Is it possible for a bird to fall from a branch niure itself? A Christchurch journalist, whose J veracity is generally unquestioned, swears that it is. It happened, he says, in Hagley 6 Parlu He noticed a thrush flv on to a branch. A sudden cracic, and the branch broke off, throwing the bird to the ground. There it lay stunned, having probably been hit over the head by the falling branch Eventually the bird, with the stupefiea expression of a boxer coming to after a knock-out swayed to its feet, staggered a few paces and flew away. Less credence is given fo the story that the same bird was seen next day wearing a bandage round its injured head. A Migratory Butterfly The claim by local naturalists that people are deSWini in ignorance a very beautiful type of butterfly is supported by Mr A. W. B. Powell, curator of the Auckland War Memorial Museum The butterfly in question is the monaich or wanderer butterfly, danaida plexippus to natuiaflsts and is an asset to the countryside, with Us bright and gay colouring. With a wing-span Ot nearly four id a half inches, the monarch has wings of orange-brown colour, veined and bordered with black. Round the margins of the wings are two rows of small white spots. A native of Central America, the nuinarchhasbeeai in New Zealand for many years, and seyeial breeding localities are known in the country. Although it is not truly endemic, it has beei found Meally at every period of Us development. A shortage of food caused its migration Horn Central America. —-“The Press” Special Service. Barque Nearing Auckland One of the largest sailing vessels afloat, the Finnish steel four-masted barque Pamir, will proCLbly enter Auckland to-day, after a voyage of 98 days with guano from Astove Island, in the Seychelles group, in the ° t ce if n- M f wireless message received frcjn \ Ca P ta '” Kellar, commander of the hnei Rattan, said that the barque was sighted at 9.30 a.m. yesterday, when about 140 miles from port, wfll off the Bay of Plenty .-Press Association. The Honey Market “There is every indication that the output of honey throughout the Dominion this year will be generally good, and prospects foi a good market are very favourable, said Mi J. Ren toul manager of the New Zealand Honey Control Board, in a forecast he made said that the short supply, due to the failure last year, had left both the local and export markets bare of honey, and there was little likelihood of a glut. According to re P° officers attached to the Department of Agriculture in various parts of the country, the outlook for apiarists seemed most hopeful, said Mr Ren toul P quite different circumstances from those of 1937, when losses were widespread. Fiess Association. A Business Deal Two cliches —as well as thoughts that it would be a penal offence to utter—sprang to the mind of a Christchurch businessman who bathed at a South Island seaside resort during the holidays. One was “the inexorable law ol supply and demand”; the other, “ a sg ua £ e in a round hole.” It was this way. The bathei, while hastily dressing to keep an a tea appointment, dropped his collar ud l hloa the grating floor of the dressing shed. What was he to do? It was a Sunday; shops were closed. “Ah saved!” he thought, when he noticed the dressing shed attendant, collarless, but wearing a stud—simply a matter of Explaining his dilemma and all would be well. But it was not as easy as that. Leading delicately up to the subject, the businessman remarked, I see you don’t wear a collar.” The attendant, a little indignant at a reflection on his sartorial deficiency, explained that he customarily wore one, but had not had time to don it. An unfortunate opening, but the businessman put his case ana the attendant (in whom a captain of commerce is obviously lost) suggested that for the small consideration of two shillings he would part with the stud. After the ensuing baggie, the stud (two for threepence retail) changed hands at a shilling. Hence the businessmans resort to cliches—and thoughts. Applications for Special Reserve Although applications for the second batch of recruits for the special reserve of the territorial force were called only on Saturday, already 13 applicants from Christchurch have enlisted In all, 30 recruits are wanted for the course of three months’ training at Burnham for which applications close on January 1 5. Ut the last batch of men trained at Burnham, 11 have been accepted for service in the regular forces, and are now attending a probationary course at Fort Dorset, Wellington. Others have applied for positions in other Government departments, including the Railways Department. Deeply-Laden Ship When the Federal Line’s motor-ship Durham reaches Auckland to-day, from Liverpool, it is expected that she will be drawing 33ft 3m ot water, one of the deepest draughts recorded by merchant vessels entering the port. Exceptionally heavy cargoes are being received at Auckland from the West Coast of Britain, and the Federal motor-ship Essex, also from Liverpool, gained a record with, a draught of 33ft Tin in July. In spite of her heavy cargo, the Durham is making a smart voyage of 30 days from Liverpool. Seal at Timaru Evidently suffering from sickness, a fairly large seal landed on the rocks near the Waimataitai Beach, close to Caroline Bay, yesterday morning. It was the contro of stti action foi many holiday-makers, whose attentions caused the seal to seek refuge in the water again.— “The Press” Special Service. Fewer Native Birds Many species of native birds, particularly smaller varieties, are rapidly decreasing in number because of depredations by the harrier hawk and the German owl. Mr F. W. Pellett, curator-ranger to the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, said yesterday that the owl was causing most damage, and preyed on the small birds both day and night. The owl was breeding rapidly, he added, and would not easily be exterminated. „ New Zealand Scenic Film Evidence that the theatre-going public of Invercargill fully appreciates the results of the Government’s attempt to bring New Zealand’s scenic beauty to the screen was given recently, when the first of the Government Motion Picture Studios’ New Zealand Reviews was shown at an Invercargill theatre. At the end of the screening there was loud applause—an unusual happening in a modern picture theatre, but the expression of satisfaction was justified, for the film was an example of excellent photography and exceptionally good narration, showing that the Dominion can produce scenic short subjects of a standard equal to those made in other countries. White Rhinoceros Shot The shooting in Zululand of one of the rarest animals in the world has been the subject of Court proceedings, and a South African farmer has been fined £4O. The rare animal was a white rhinoceros, one of two which strayed from the Hluhluwe Game Reserve and wandered on to a farm near Babanango. The farmer said he was called out by his terrified natives, none of whom had seen such an animal before. He found two enormous beasts grazing peacefully among his cattle. As he raised his rifle he saw that they had horns on their noses, and it occurred to him that they might be rhinoceroses. He fired at the bigger of the two and both came trotting toward him. He ran for his life and climbed the nearest tree. He fired 10 shots, until the bigger animal staggered and dropped. The white rhinoceros is the second rarest beast in the world, the okapi being first. It is found only in Zululand, in the Hluhluwe and Umfolosi Reserves. Each specimen is valued at £ 1000.