NEWS OF THE DAT

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 11, 14 January 1931, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAT

Gorgeous Aliens.

The Narbatla, now lying at Lyttol- : ton, is the steamer tliat brings flocks of rare and gdrgeous birds from Singapore to the members of the New Zea c land Aviculture Society, which is particularly strong in Auckland, where the climate is more favourable to birds froni tropical countries than other parts, states the "Chriatchureh Times." The vessel often brings a consignment of several hundred birds, including niinahs, budgerigars, weavers, macaws, birds, and other rarities, and considering the distance they have to come the mortality is very small. Indian princes and the rajahs of the Bast are great bird fanciers, and indriey being no object, many of th^iri. have wonderful collections, drawn from all'over the bird world. The principal market for thia uncommon trade is Singapore, and that is where the Now Zealand Society draws most of ita shipments from.

Atlantic Salmon.

"When they are rising, anyone eari catch them, but When they are not on the job the best fisherman in the world can do nothing," said Mi; D. I<*. Hobbs, speaking to a "Christchiirch Times'* reporter of the fishing foi; Atlantic salmon at To Anaui Mr. Hobbs has just returned from a three weeks' Visit to the lake. He explained that the salmon fishing is so far practically unexplored. There are only two recognised fishing places on the whole lake, one at the outlet where the Waiaii River funs o.ut, and the other oil the Upuktiroio Kiver. There are large tracts of lake shore which had not yet been explored to find their capacity for affordl ing sport to the angler. The new road which is being piib through to Mllford would open tip iriany places for fishing, said Mr. Hobbs. About twenty miles of new shore may bn accessible. Mir. Hobbs took llio, first salmon to be caught in Iho ilppt'l- Arm, which is seventeen niilos long. I'ho proportion of fish caught was six Atlantic salmon to one rainbow trout. Very largo brown trout -were seen in the lake, but it was stated by anglers who knew the water that they were not to be caught by tmy recognised means.

May or May Not Be True.

High up on the walls of tho senior classroom at the Havelock School a redhandled pen is stuck, and tradition has it, according to the "Marlborough Express," that it was thrown there dartwise by Ernest Buthorford, who attended the school in the early "eighties," in a competition in tho absence of the schoolmaster* The tradition may or may not have a basis of truth, but tho pen is there.

School Camps Advocated,

"A noble ideal which might very well bo put into practice if difficulties of organisation and expense can bo overcome," remarked Professor L. J. Wrigley, of the University of Melbourne, when asked to assess tho value of school camps as a recognised part of the school curriculum, states the Christchurch "Press." Ho knew of no country, he added, where the scheme was put intd universal practice, but in EJurope and America such camps wore a recognised feature of progressive education. There, however, only part of the school was taken; they had not been able to give the regular benefits df such outings to every child. Much of the good of such camps lay in every chiid being able to take part iri them; indeed, it was not the boy orgirl going to a good school who would benefit so much as the slum child who could not pay for such, things. He was, he said, iri favour of official recognition being given these camps, when much would depend on the zeal of tea6hers arid Ideal enthusiasihi The "school journey" was a riioveriierit which had developed in this way. Though df a different character they had a scheme of afforestation in Victoria designed to teach the fehild valuable lessons which ho could not he. taught in the schoolroom. During school hours children went perhaps as much as twenty miles into the country and planted pines' or other trees, each schdol being allotted about two acres a year. There was much more to be learned from this than a lesson iri forestry.