General News

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29722, 16 January 1962, Page 10

General News

Freak Lizard Complete with a head at each end, a three-inch lizard was caught in a kitchen in the central King Country recently and astounded its captors by moving in either direction with equal ease and without turning about. The freak lizard was injured I when it was captured, and! died later. Its body has been put into spirits. Found in the kitchen of Mrs W. O’Donnell and her mother, Mrs L. Londrigan, on their farm at Owhango, the lizard looked like the front parts of twoj lizards joined back to back, each end being complete with ! head and front legs and with no visible join in the middle. —(P.A.) First Celery The first celery of the season, from Burwood, was sold yesterday in Christchurch produce markets for 7s 6d to Ils 6d a case. It is selling in the shops for Is 3d a bunch. Lettuces, w'hich were scarce last week and sold for up to 3s each in the markets, were down slightly at 7s to 17s a case. Better supplies of local-ly-grown sweet corn were available and sold for Is 3d a cob in the shops. Geese For Zoo Six pairs of Canada geese from Canterbury are now in the Auckland zoo. They were sent by air from Christchurch recently. The zoo supervisor (Mr D. Wood) said they were ordered more than a year ago from the Department of Internal Affairs because the zoo stock was down to three pairs. The new geese will be released on the lake at the zoo after their wings have been clipped. Pilots’ School A State-sponsored agricultural pilots' school, at present under consideration in Wellington, is likely to be set up at either Auckland or Wanganui. A sub-committee of the Commercial Pilots’ Union has been asked to investigate ways of forming the school, which is expected to cost £lOO,OOO. The school would train commercial pilots to agricultural standards. Power For Huts The Springs - Ellesmere Electric Power Board is examining the best route to connect the huts at the mouth of the Selwyn river with power, a spokesman for the board said yesterday. The board has been approached by hut owners and is awaiting a guaranteed consumption quota before connecting the 'huts, which are about one mile and a half from the nearest power supply. Eeling Contest After one week of an eelfishing contest at Lake Pupuke organised for school children by the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, the tally is 68. Leading the field, but with three weeks of the contest to go, is Robert Freakes, aged 13, whose catch is 13 eels. One of the few girl contestants, Pamela Davis, aged eight, has caught 11. The object of the contest is to help to preserve more than half a million trout fry and fingerlings released in the lake. Eel traps in the lake recently caught only 20 eels. Personal Items Mr R. N. Thompson, inspector of health, Rangiora, has been promoted to special grade inspector of health. Nelson. He will be succeeded at Rangiora by Mr R. B. Ayrey, at present inspector of health. Christchurch.