TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 296, 13 September 1927, Page 12

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS AND NOTES FROM ALL QUARTERS

A request that barberry Ik declared a noxious weed was placed before the Opotiki County Council at its last meeting (reports the Poverty Bay Herald”). The clerk advised that the Act applies onlj’ to barberry hedges, and statedthat owners could not be compelled to trim any barberry bushes growing in the paddocks away from the hedge. Councillor Small said barberry was becoming a serious thing. The hedges should be cut every two years. Councillor Reid said the berry was going to bd a serious menace on light country, where it was spreading rapidly. The plants should be prevented from seeding. The clerk was instructed to see into the matter, and an endeavour is to bo made to get the Act amended to include barberry bushes growing apart from hedges.

Hares have become a nuisance in some parts of North Otago this year (states an exchange). They have come down from the ranges in hundreds, and have done a good deal of damage to crops. One farmer has destroyed no fewer than 750 since the beginning of the winter. Unless combined measures are taken to cope with the hares, they may yet become almost as big a menace as the rabbit.

In the Lakes district ifc is increasingly apparent that rabbits are becoming fewer in numbers with each succeeding year (reports an exchange). As an instance of what practically amounts to extermination, a property near the Matukituki River, owned by Mr. C. Ewing, may lie cited. Ten years ago, when this properly of 1,300 acres was acquired by the owner, 7000 skins were secured in the first year of occupation. Last winter the total number amounted to IS. Reports from other districts show that the reduction in numbers is fairly general, though in a lesser degree.

The strip of experimental roadway near Malic (wherein a mythical bottle was alleged to be buried and to hold a paper ceding Samoa to New Zealand, signed by Toelupe) was dug up by the Public Works Department staff the other day (reports the Samoa “Times”). About 300 onlookers watched proceedings with interest, but beyond a dust-bath they had nothing to show for their outing.

Late the other afternoon at Port Chalmers a big boulder, which had been loosened by the rain, rolled down an embankment and struck a blacksmith’s shop in Beach Street (states the “Otago Daily Times”). The stone, which weighed about a ton, rolled from a height of 100 feet before it struck the back of the building. It made a big bole in the wall and slightly twisted one of the blacksmith’s fires before coming to a stop in the middle of the floor. The smith, whose forge was so nearly smashed, fortunately saw the boulder in time to give warning to his mates and to get out of the way himself.

A strange theft was perpetrated on a visiting motorist in Stratford (says ti e “Taranaki Daily News”) A commercial traveller from Auckland put up at one of the hotels and garaged his expensive car in some premises at the rear. When he, visited the shed on Sunday morning to continue his journey, he found that someone had removed his five tires with their rims and bolts. The car was left on the jack, but a thorough search tailed to reveal any trace of the missing tires. At first a practical joke was suspected, but as no information regarding the tires could be found, the matter was placed in the hands of the polic.e.

An instance in which pukeko were seen attacking young swans at Rangiriri was brought before the Auckland Acclimatisation Society recently (states an exchange). Mr, A. Oxenham, Rangiriri, wrote stating he saw about a dozen pukekos attacking cygnets whose parents were trying to fight them off. On going into the swamp he found two pukekos with a cygnet which they bad killed. On picking up the cygnet from the water lie was attacked by the two pukekos. The waters in the vicinity were infested with the birds. Mr. E. -Mackay, of Rangiriri, wrote asking for permission to shoot pukeko, which consumed and destroyed pasture on • his farm and had been known to raid the nests of bis poultry and eat the eggs. It was decided to ask the Minister of Internal Affairs for permission for the society’s ranger to shoot pukeko at Rangiriri.

A large shipment of the English wild duck is due at Auckland shortly, before Christmas and will be. liberated in various parts of the province by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society (states the “Star”). The bird is already known to numbers of Aucklanders because it is to be seen on the ponds of the Domain, where the attention is often attracted by the strange noises made by tho male. It is to be noted that the sexes differ very much in voice, the female only making a quacking sound, while the male utters a hoarse wheeze, or, when courting, a low whistle. Experts regard the mallard as most versatile of the ducks of the -world. It has a high degree of intelligence and it particularly enterprising in the measures it takes to protect its young. If surprised while in charge of a broodthe mother will Hutter off making pretence of being wounded, leaving her young to hide under the cover available.

Desiring to demolish a house and substitute it with another, an owner of some land in Roebuck Road found himself confronted with a peculiar technical difficulty under the Gisborne building bylaws, and in a letter to the Borough Council he appealed for a concession (says the “Herald”). The owner of the” land stated that his land was divided into two sections by survey, whereas, in fact, the land was one allotment. A shop stood in front, and behind it was an old dwelling, the side wall of which ran along the middle of the section line. He desired to demolish the house and erect another, in its place, but owing to the land being divided into two sections he was , prevented from building up to the’ boundary. After an informal discus- | sion of the matter the council referred it to a sub-committee for a report. I

Two black swans that had apparently “missed their way home” were sporting themselves in the Grey River the other morning and were the centre of attraction of an admiring group on the wharf (says the “Star”). Tlie birds swam down the river past the shipping, and then flew off, probably mating for their sanctuary.

The earliest arrivals in Stratford on a recent morning saw a tombstone standing on the Regan Street silent policeman (says the “Post”). It had .apparently been placed there by practical jokers and, needless to say, the .person from whoso stock-in-trade it had been taken lost no time in removing it.

Just before knocking off time in a shift in the Occidental mine at Thames the other a stone, weighing several pounds, was broken out of the Royalty reef (reports an exchange). It had a band of gold three inches wide. Interesting developments are expected.

As a result of a naper on whitebait read before the Philosophical Institute in Christchurch by Mr. D. Hope last month, the council of the institute was instructed to take some steps to get » "close season” declared in respect to whitebait. Mr. R. M. Laing, president of the institute, stated at q recent meeting that it had been decided to forward a recent recommendation to the Marine Department that the question of a close season should be considered (states the "Lyttelton Times”). 'The council did not feel itself competent enough to determine the date for closing the .whitebait season, but considered it had given .effect to the wishes of a large number of people by bringing this matter up.

Writing in the Auckland “Star” on the request to the Government to destroy the keu on its reserves in tho South Island, “Taniwha” concludes his remarks thus: “I have seen the kea as tame, as devoid of fear, as any penguin on its native beaches. 1 have also heard the fearsome tales of the backcountry sheep men, and have seen rows of executed keas, caught red-handed, nailed upon the stockyard fences as horrible warning to the parrot clan. The kea is no doubt a shocking example of a good bird gone wrong. The sheep farmer led him into temptation, and he did descend on the lambs and pluck and eat. But there is such a thing as carrying punishment too far. And, in any event, it is up to the fiock-owneru to look after their own property. Thu kea, so far from being a curse in tho high country, is an attractive item in the snowy landscape, where one is only too pleased to see any living thing. And, whatever sheep farming Governments may do, the Rob Roy of the Southern Alps is likely to linger there quite as long as the golden eagle has lingered in the Highlands of Scotland, where, after centuries of nearer settlements than our mountains are likely to sec, it still holds its lofty eyrie.” body. He is hollow, and inside there are more of these little figures.

Plaster casts of two singularly ugly but highly interesting deities have just arrived from the Old Country for the Auckland Museum (reports the “Star”). They are the gift of Mr. Moss Davis, now living in London, who has on several previous occasions shown that he has not forgotten his former town. Both the originals from .which the casts have been taken are; in the British Museum. The oldest is of a lady, who belongs to somewhere betv een 2700 and 2hM) B.C. She is the Babylonian Goddess Bau, the patron diety of the poultry larm. The statue represents her seated on a throne made of waves ot water, and she is flanked by geese with two more supporting her feet. This striking representation of her was found in a temple at Nin Gal, which was sacked by the Babylonians after an unsuccessful rebellion. That battle >s dated about 1370, B.C. Judging from the plaster-cast, she wears her years lightly. The other is a still stranger deity, and one that has a special interest for New Zealanders —the great Polynesian god, Tangaroa, the supreme deity ot that poetic race. He was generally regarded as the creator of the world and the parent of gods and men. This particular statue came from the Austral group, and is one of the treasured possession of the Polynesian section of the British Museum. He is carved out of a white wood, and is a Lout 3ft. Bin. high. Forming the features of the face- and scattered about various parts of his anatomy there are little gnomc-like figures stuck on, or lather carved on, and these give him a very weird appearance. The idea ? apparently, was to suggest the multitude of gods that proceeded froia his sacred

With the arrival at Southampton of tho White Star line lonic ended an interesting ocean race —a race from New Zealand to England (says the Auckland “Star”). The other contesting vessel was the Athenic. sister ship to tho Tonic. Both vessels sailed from New . Zealand on July 31, both bound for Southampton and London, via the Panama Canal, the lonic leaving Wellington an hour or so ahead of the Athenic, which departed from Auckland. Crossing the Pacific tho lonic established a fairly good.lead, and in the canal zone was a day ahead of her rival. . More than usual interest was shown m the race, as both steamers aro of the same tonnage and design. It is believed that the coal used in the ■ lonic s furnaces was of better quality than that which filled the Athenic’s bunkers.

A wonderful new hapuka £ r ° L 1 ) 8 recently been discovered in Cook Strait, nt a distance of about a mile from Torv Channel. On a recent Wednesday a Picton launch secured a catch ot 190 splendid fish, and, as Italian fishermen from Welling+on were also oP«r at r in" on the ground, it is estimated that fullv 2000 hapuka were caught in the one” day (states the "Marlborough Express”). "I Hiink it is the home of all tho hapuka.’ said a well-known fisherman, in conversation, and when it has been cleaned out there will be no more hapuka in the If ° T " Hie "round continues on . the ba ~’ s v’ednesday’s haul, it will in all Prohabili»v be but a very short Hme liefore the "round is 'cleaned ur>. The matter seems to be one for the Manne Department's attention.