LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22657, 19 February 1937, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

White Butterfly Parasites White butterfly parasites have been liberated in Waihi gardens by Mr. W. J. Thompson, a wcli-known Waihi gardening enthusiast. He obtained them from Massey College, Paluierston North. The parasites were sent to Mr. Thompson in small gauze cylinders. He liberated them on cabbages. The Baby Hippopotamus Because it is still deemed advisable to leave Bella, the female hippopotamus at the Auckland Zoo, unmolested with her baby, which wa« born last week, it has not yet beer possible to determine the sex of tlia new arrival. The baby continues to make good progress and is a source of great interest to visitors to the zoo. Language Difficulties The visiting Japanese athletes, K. Murokosa and K. Togami, amused the crowd at Otahuhu last night when addressing spectators at tho athletic meeting. Both prefaced their remarks with the words: "I cannot speak English." Mr. Murokosa then spoke in his native tongue. Mr. Togami essayed a few sentences in English, a proceeding which he and the crowd vastly enjoyed. Smiling broadly he concluded: "I think this grand." Overseas Mails Arriving A largo quantity of English and American mail will reach the Dominion shortly. The Matson liner Monterey, due at Auckland next Friday, has 1116 hags of English and- American mail, including .178 bags for Auckland The Shaw, Savill and Albion liner Arawa, which will reach Wellington on March 1. has 879 bags of English letter mail and 282 bags of parcels for New Zealand and also 301 bags of letters and 108 bags of parcels from America. Artillery Target Practice A practice shoot at a target towed from a launch between Bean Ilock Beacon and the illuminated buoys in Ilangitoto Channel was fired by territorials of the Northern Coast Group, New Zealand Artillery, from North Head yesterday. Using inch aiming tubes in 12-pounder guns, the territorials were responsible for some excellent shooting, a number of direct hits being registered. Three shoots with six-inch guns will be conducted on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of next week. Old Auckland Landmarks Appeals for the preservation of two old Auckland landmarks were made during question time at tho meeting of the City Council last evening. Mr. P. Carr asked for an investigation regarding the replacement of the Three Lamps in their old position at the junction of Ponsonby Road and Jervois Koad, and Mr. G. G. Grant asked for an inquiry into the condition of the old Stone Jug Inn at Western Springs, with a view to the renewal and protection of the building which, he said, had many historical associations. Visitors to the Zoo Public patronage of the Auckland Zoo has been running to extremes lately. It was reported to the City Council last night that on December 27 there were 2316 visitors, who paid £94 for admission, both figures being the highest for six years. On Anniversary Day, when the weather was very bad, not one person passed the turnstiles. In spite of a wet summer and precautions against infantilo paralysis, the receipts for December and January showed a gain of £127 over those for the same period 12 months ago. Once Bitten "Don't be too keen about this," said a member when the Te Aroha Chamber of Commerce was discussing the advisability of securing the inclusion of the Thames Valley in the itinerary of a forthcoming farmers' tour. "Last year," said the speaker, "we undertook at very short notice to give such a party an opportunity of inspecting our dairy factories. We provided motor transport from Frankton for about 400 people, and gave them all a free lunch, and after walking round tho domain for an hour or two they promptly left. It cost us about £6O, and we certainly learned nothing about farming methods from the visitors." An Unwanted Job "What are this man's duties?" asked a councillor when it was reported to the City Council last night that no applications had been received for the post of ranger for the Tamaki and Orakci districts. "Issuing dog collars and impounding stray animals," replied the chairman of tho Legal and By-laws Committee, Mr. W. T. Anderton. Another councillor asked what salary was paid. The Mayor, Mr. Ernest Davis, after making inquiries, said that the ranger received £ls a year, plus commission. "Surely that ought to attract someone," he remarked. It was agreed that further efforts should be made to find a suitable man. Reaction Time A little information on the subject of "reaction time," or the time it takes a car driver to put a decision of his brain into action, was given by Mr. Justice Callan to an experienced motor mechanic who was giving evidence in the Supreme Court yesterday. Asked by counsel how long he thought the average reaction time was witness said, "About a fifth of a second." "If you can do it in a fifth of a second and keep on doing it —well, you are pretty good," remarked His Honor. He told the witness that there was a gentleman in Auckland with a special chair fitted up with all sorts of gadgets for testing people when they knew they were to be tested. "Ho has never got anybody near a fifth of a second yet," concluded His Honor. Sharks At Wellington

The catching of a 9ft. tiger shark near Ward Island, Wellington, the other day provided no isolated instance of tho presence of sharks in Port Nicholson, although tiger sharks aro exceedingly rare. In Evans Bay, near Miramar, in recent weeks about half a dozen sharks have been caught, about sft. in length, and 011 Tuesday night another one, 4ft. 6in. in length, was landed. The shark caught off Ward Island is tho tiger shark of the Pacific and is also called the shovel-nosed or fox shark. This species was the first identified in New Zealand by the late Mr. L. T. Griffin, of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, in 1927, and since then has been caught on rod and lino in the northern portion of New Zealand. It has never been previously recorded south of the Hauraki Gulf, but it is thought that the one caught off Ward Island was an isolated fish which had migrated south during the summer. It weighed 3001b,