Strange—But True!

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 66, 10 December 1938, Page 9 (Supplement)

Strange —But True!

Can You Believe These Facts?

'PHERE. are many strange and wonderful things in the world, which seem to be beyond belief. You will find it hard to believe all these facts which members tell of marvels of plant and animal life, and of strange people and their strange ways.

WHO could ever believe that a soft little fish, less than a foot long, could kill the savage shark? The “sea hedgehog." as it is called, beeause its body is covered with spikes, ran destroy a monster 25 feet in length. When it is swallowed by the shark it. calmly eats and bores its way out. not only through the coats of the stomach, but through the sides of the shark. This curious little fish inhabits the waters of South America. -Felicity (17), I’atea. El Ilio Vinagre. A “vinegar'’ river is found iu Colombo in the vicinity of the active volcano I’urace. It is really a part of the Causa River, which rises in the southern part of the country, near Ecuador, ami flows 080 miles north to the Magdalena. The high acidity of the “El Rio Vinagre’’ is in part, attributed to the nearness of the volcano. It contains 11 parts of sulphuric acid, and nine parts of hydrochloric acid in every thousand, and is so sour that no lisli can live in it. — Felicity (17), I’atea. Sea Mystery. On December 5, 1572. the British barque Dei Gratia, in mid-Atlantic and heading for Gibraltar, sighted the American brig Mary Celeste. It was calm weather, but the brig was going a zig-zag' course. The captain, sailing closer, lowered a boat ami boarded her. lie searched the vessel from end to end, but it was empty. A partly-eaten breakfast was mi the talite, and an open bottle of rough mixture was

standing uncorked. This proved that there had been no rough weather. The ship’s log book was there, and the last entry was dated 10 days before. It proved that the brig had left America a few weeks before, but nothing was said of any trouble, and the ship’s boats were all there. The only clue was a deep cut on one of the rails. Of the captain, his wife and daughter and 14 crew, there was uo sign, and nothing has been seen or heard of them since. How or why they ’eft the Mary Celcs’le has never been discovered. The brig was toweu to Gibraltar, whore a long inquiry was held, but no more facts came out, and it is still ns much of a mystery as it was GS years ago.—Fabicla (14), Wellington. Living Lamps. of all insects which give light, the • Elater,” of Mexico, is the most brilliant. It is about two inches long. It has two yellow lights on its back and others under its wings. One of the beetles held in the hand gives enough light to read a book by. . When the Spaniards conquered Mexico, they found the natives used to tie the beetles to their feet in order to tind their way in the dark. —Jasmine (13), Johnsonville. Unusual Plants and People. In England a man owns a garden in which be has many strange plants. He grows a yellow flower and the slightest touch makes it droop and die, but iu ten minutes it is alive again. [This is probably the “sensitive mimosa plant”; when the leaves are touched, water from the main stalk passes to the leaf-tips, so the leaf-stalk

cannot support them, and the twigs “droop.” After a time, the witter passes to the cells at the main stalk again, and (he leaves assume a normal position.—Kiwi.] This man has also a (lower which changes its colour seven times each day.

One country boasts a lady who lias a large room which is full of recipes. There is also u muu who eats pins, needles, safety-pins, rubber and many other different things. He has a young son, who is starting to do the same as his father, but no harm comes to them —Annabella (12), Masterton. A Horror of the Sea. You would not guess it. but tins 1' a shark. It is called the “Hammerheaded Shark," because of the shape of its head. Its eyes are at the end

of each “hammer-head.” It is found in the Pacific and is even more dangerous than an ordinary shark, because it does not have to turn . over to bite.— Jasmine (13), Johnsonville. Queer Habits of Ants. Ants do the strangest things. Did you know that some ants keep cows: They are aphids, and the ants take great care of them. The ants get the milk by stroking Hie body of the aphids. Strange as it seems, ants can wreck houses by eating away rhe piles. This is done in (Queensland, Australia. — Cutty Sark (11), Tua Marina. A Sausage Tree. In Florida, United States of America, perfectly-shaped sausages grow on a tree. The sausages dangle invitingly from the end of long strings. But there is a catch. Nature does not offer free lunches. The sausages are not edible. No commercial use has yet been found for this strange fruit. The “sausages" are actually seed pods.— Jovial (11), Johnsonville. Rocking Stone. There is a rock in Argentina called the Tandil Reeking .Stone. This 700 tons of granite has lain for centuries on the very edge of a precipice in the Tandil mountains. A man can rock it easily with one hand, and control its swing sufficiently to crack a nut; but a team of 1000 horses which was once yoked to it failed to move it a single inch. This is very strange, but true. —Bettina (12), Blenheim. A Strange Medley. There are many strange things we know or read of. One of the children who goes to our school told me of a freak lamb born last year on their farm; it lied two heads. When iu Christchurch I' was'taken to see the insect-eating cactus. This large spiny shrub, when in flower, has an opening like a- mouth, and when an insect alights on it. it opens its mouth and sucks in the insect. Then think of the sea creatures! One of the most interesting is the fish with the light on its head. It is feared by divers, because, when it sees an enemy it sends out a poisonous gas. Nobody is quite sure where the eels breed. Some say in the Saragossa Sea. The salmon leave their home in the sea and come up the rivers to spawn. Then tp mention our New Zealand ■curiosities. The tuatara lizard, the little wingless kiwi, and the skeletons of the extinct tnoa.— Snow Fairy (!», Takapau. Freak Chick. A few years ago daddy discovered a black hen sitting on eggs on the haystack. A few days later the eggs hatched and there were fourteen lovely fluffy black and yellow chicks. One chick was strange. Instead of wings it had two legs growing out of its back.— Toi-toi, Paraparauinu. More Strange Trees. In Australia there is a tree which Is shaped like a bottle, and when cut or nicked with a knife, pure drinkable water may be obtained. This giaut bottle tree has not very much foliage on the lower portion, but on the very top there is an enormous amount of yellowish foliage. Another queer tree is a willow tree with a well-developed pine growing out of the heart of the willow. This tree grows iu Vorarlberg, Austria, and has been standing for over forty-five years. Perhaps you will be interested to know that there are some “countless” stones in England. Each time they are counted one arrives at a different total. —lnterested Reader, Johnsonville.