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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 30 January 1939, Page 6

The Methodist Sunday School picnic will be held at Baigent’s Bush on Ist February. Situated handy to the Railway Station at Wakefield, Baigenl’s Bush is an ideal picnic spot, and young and old can be assured of a happy clay’s outing on Wednesday.

Enthusiastic Still / Former members of the N.Z.E.F. residing in England are still enthus- i iastic in their desire to help the Em- ? pire if the need arises. Information r to this effect was received at a recent c meeting of the Dominion Executive < Committee of the N.Z.R.S.A. Appearing in the minutes of the Empire ' Council of the British Empire Service League, under the heading of “Policing of Plebiscite Areas, CzechoSlovakia,’ - the remarks of one of the f New Zealand representatives (Mr H. ’ T. B. Drew) on the Council was reported:—‘ It was pleasing that everybody had endeavoured to help during 1 the crisis. New Zealand House was j most gratified at the number of exN.Z.E F. men who had come forward ! and offered their services.” Mistaken Identity In their eagerness to wage war on the “little owl.” commonly known as the German owl, an enemy of native birds, some persons have made a mistake. says the Forest and Bird Protection Society. They shave shot moreporks, which are on the protected list. One of these enthusiasts proudly brought into Wellington the body of a bird had shot in the Upper Hutt valley. It was identified by an expert as a morepork. The native and the alien are about the same size, but the imported pest (which the society holds to have been one of the mistakes of the Otago Acclimatisation Society) has rather lighter plumage and whitish legs. The morepork has yellowish legs. The society appeals to people to refrain from killing owls unless they are sure that the birds are the German species. Bellbird Chorus Recording? Several attempts have been made by the Forest and Bird Protection Society to record the marvellous bellbird chorus, but luck has been against it. Members of the executive believe that this task should be undertaken by the Government, which has better facilities to assure success. It is felt that records of that chorus and the tui’s song should be in the programme for national centennial celebrations and that Australia’s success with the lyre-bird, which is claimed to be the world’s best mimic, should stimulated the New Zealand Government to persevere in the effort to catch and hold the music of bellbirds and tuis. Picturesque Swimming Pool Probably there is no swinmming bath in the Dominion which has such a picturesque setting as that of Meremere School, which is in the centre of a dairying settlement, about 10 miles east of Hawera. The bath is attached to the local school and is in a sheltered valley, amid a glorious setting of native trees, the whole making a beauty spot of unique interest. The bath also is in a district closely associated with incidents and fighting in the Maori War, a fact which adds considerably to its interest. Some eight years ago the settlers, by voluntary labour, constructed a pool with a concrete wall at the lower end, in a swamp valley the bath being fed from a spring that gives crystal-clear water. The sides were timbered with treeferns, and this served its purpose until recently, when, as the result of a queen carnival, funds were available to construct an up-to-date swimming pool, 50 feet by 45 feet. The committee was assisted by the Public Works Department, after representations had been made to the Hon. R. Semple, and now the school and district have a bath, equipped with dressing sheds, springboards and seats for visitors, equal to those in many large towns. A planting scheme is also under way as a complement to the lovely forest tha + surrounds the site’ Shooting of Shags To some ardent anglers all shags are i one shag, to be shot at sight, as an enemy of trout, says the New Zealand , Forest and Bird Protection Society. Thus they have blundered into the killing of absolutely protected species such as the spotted, rough-faced and 1 other shags, including the pied shag.. which lives on sea-fish. The black ' shag is the one that may look for a meal in a river, although it is believed . by many unbiased observers that this . bird may do more good than harm, be- ’ cause it gives keen attention to the I real enemies of trout, eels. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry, is : stated to agree with the view of the • Forest and Bird Protection Society that • it is not right to use the generic term “shag” when “black shag” is meant, . and that pied shags should not be persecuted.