HOIST WITH THEIR OWN PETARD.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLIII, Issue 2287, 4 March 1912, Page 2

HOIST WITH THEIR OWN PETARD.

A gentlemaa possessing a valuable collection of birds' eggs, consented to give a short lecture upon them to a provincial scientific society, and, oa the afternoon preceding his address, arranged a number of specimens from his collection on a table in the meet-ing-hall. Some young members of the society thinking to have a joke at the speaker's expense, managod to conceal several carefully-prepared "dummies " among those placed for exhibition. A large audience gathered to listen to the lecture, and when, after describing in most interesting fashion several of the rare specimens, the lecturer came to the " dummies " there was a slight titter from some young fellows at the back of the hall. Suddenly they realised that they were laughing too soon, for the speaker took, up one of the " faked" eggs and said : " Ladies and gentlemen, permit me to call your attention to the production of a biped generally known as the laughing jackass. These eggs are usually found in tropical climet?, but as this specimen has been laid here since my visit this afterno >n, it is only reasonable to presume that one of the species has found its way into this nail. Let us see if its owner will come to look for it while the lecture is continued 1"