NATURE STUDY CORNER

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 19, 23 January 1937, Page 20

NATURE STUDY CORNER

"I once found a weed, growing in "i the bank of the Main Karori Road, which proved to be so interesting that "i I took it to the museum. It was what jl call a wild mustard. I believe it is a wild turnip. At the base of the 1 stem a microbe had lodged, and this caused the stems all to join together, and then flower at the top. I think this is called "Fasciation." The same ~| happens when a daisy bears a double head, or a polyanthus has a double .stem. When I took the interesting weed to tht Museum the botanist said that it was the first time she had seen one in bloom, so that added to the worth of the specimen." : . "DEINA NESS' (IS). ■Northland. MYSTERIOUS! (Original.) The rain fell Incessantly and was blown helter-skelter down the road. Jack West grabbed the bottom of his - coat as it threatened to envelop his head. His companion Toby Wix clutched liis hat and with the other hand tried to keep his coat from parting d from him altogether. p "Beastly night," growled Jack. t( "What's that" asked Toby. ti "I said it's a beastly nignt!" shouted v Jack, his voice barely audible above tl the wind. • iJ "Yes, I know. Where can we find v\ shelter?" P "Well, there's a house down the o road," shouted back Jack. o "It's haunted!" shrieked Toby. "Bosh, come on," laughed Jack. They trudged on in silence and came upon the house, just the roof peeping . amongst the trees. They turned up the drive, and there was a peal of thunder and a brilliant flash of light- _ ning which.made the house stand out starkly, "Doesn't it look spooky," breathed Toby in awe; 1 They pushed " open the door and entered; another n flash of lightning momentarily lit up P the old dusty halL Toby said, ''Fair a gives me the creeps it do; It strikes me — " But the rest died on his lips, 1 for at that moment there came to their ° ears a sound, a muffled low sound as of distant thunder. Yet is was not 3 thunder they knew. For it came from " the very depths of the earth. P "What was it?" muttered Jack. a • "Ghosts!"- promptly said Tobyi « "Rot," laughed Jack, "come on." They ventured further into the hall f and they jumped rounds when the front t door was blown open and floating ti through the open door was a hideous f face. Toby swallowed hard and clutch- v ed Jack's arm. "D'do you see what I see? he tremblingly asked. The face hovered for a while and slowly vanished before their astonished eyes. Toby gurgled and gave one dive for the door and f vanished into the night. "Well Jack, it worked." n Jack turned round to face two boys. He grinned. "Yes, it did," he went B to the door. "Hi, Toby." But Toby had gone.