AUSTRALIAN EXTRACTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 331, 12 January 1863, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN EXTRACTS.

A Bite from a Black Spidsb.—On Sunday evening last, Mr Phillips, a chemist, of Brookestreet, entered the closet at the rear of: his present residence. Whilst there he found something* strike him, and afterwards experienced some pain, iOn going into the house he complained to Dr King, who, fortunately happened to be there at the time of the circunistance occurring, when he at once repaired to the closet with a candle, and saw crawling along the seat'a small black spider—flat body, with a red mark on its back. .After this he returned'and examined Mr Phillips, who was seized'with strong pains^in the abilomen, which presently extended all through j the bowels.passing to the spine,and to the muscles.on the back of the thigh. ..He was then taken.with'.spalims, approaching to convulsions. Dr King.administered •ther, ammonia, end opium. Tie .doctpr.^ordered cloths dipped in turpentine to be constantly ;kej>t applied.^ »m the wound, itself liq., atnmbn., .dputed. (Wards two a.m., on Monday morniiig, the patient became light headed and delirious, and a shivering; rigor, approaching to collapse,,came over.him, \ No sleeo whatever could be induced, by the .opium, although administered in ; strong doses j ~ and, large draughts of brandy were' given for the purpose.of producing sleep, which had, alter a time, the desired effect; although not the least symptom of drunkenness was perceptible on him. lam happy to i-.dd that Mr Phillips (who was a large sufferer by the late firp) is now progressing favorably. He is a young tnan much respected in the district", and his present indisposition, of so dangerous a character as it was at first presented in, caused much distress to those ,who enjoyed his personal acquaintance. DrKinginformsme that hedespairedat one timeof his recovery, but that the danger has all now past. He also states that he i 3 at present treating the patient, in expectation! hat fnim the present appearances abscesses may form all over the hody, for which he is administering tonics.— Bendigo Advertiser, 24th December. ; ' i ;

A Tasmanian Tiger.—On Saturday last we were afforded an opportunity of examining a fine living specimen ot that rare animal the indigenous tiger of Tasmania. The animal in question isa femaie, and stands about twenty inches in height, being in • fact above the average stature of.dogs. Its head resembles that of a wolf, and itis of a somewhat, slender build, with small but remarkably muscular limbs. | Its color is of a yellowish brown, traversed by diagonal, fltripes of a.inueh darker; hue, extending ,in lines parallel to one from the point of ;the shoujder, ,to, a little behind the fore- egs. Tha cre/iture carries in, her marsupial. pouch: three cubs attached to their parcut in the manner peculiar to auimnls of their c' ss, and has just lost another on Friday; evening, which is now iv the possession of R. Gunn, ,Bsq. This cub is about nine ;inches in length,.from the snout to the root of the tail; .is.,, well furnished,with hair, and ro>embles its dam in color. 'mother was captured some three months since, in a snace, at Piper's Kiver, by a son of Mr Thomas Flurstj a farmer, residing in that district, and has since been kept upon a chain like a dog. She feeds well, but is of a fierce and untameable disposition, so much so, indeed, that on Friday last she bit quite through Mr Hurst junior's, hand without receiving , any provocation oi- ill-treatment. ; Some idea of her; extraor-v dinary muscular power may be formed from the fact ihat since her'capture she:has frequently been^upplied with live kangaroos of every size, antUia? in each case killed them with as little difficulty as a cat would, find in killing a; mouse. She Jias been purchased from her captor by Mr R. Gunn, who, we believe, proposes sending her as a present to some of the public institutions of Great Britain.— LaunCeston Rep rter, 2ith December. ... -. : -' . ,

Cowardly Outrages. —On Saturday .evening last, a zealous itinerant preacher cbimnenced preaching in the square, where he soon gathered, a tolerably numerous, but by.no means reverent congregation. We confess to being incredulous as. to,.the |good effected by such harangues,'believing that they bring religion into contempt rather than tend to its diffu- ; sian, and promote blasphemy rather than achieve the' endf-ought. At the same time the conduct of some, in the crowd was disgraceful; in the. extreme j piie ruffian went so far as. tp.thro.w. a stone ;,with great violence, and with it struck the speaker, on.the henil,, inflicl.int! a severe scalp wound, which j bled profusely.' The police were near, and the perpetrator of the outr. rage was said to be known, but no steps-were takpn for his arrest. Another service; weas held last evening, when a policeman was present. At.first, ,thmiglj the actor's .remarks -were more pointed: than polite.tp.; Castlemaine society „. generally, .the, opposition I cpn^ tented themselves with hooting and .bawling :'ap .the, oljeUionable pavages-. At length thenddresa became rather too personal to a few in the ci'b.wdj -who at. once proceeded to hustle and bonnet the. preacher,-the. p ilireman stoically .looking, on., ; Mr, Barker,-, qf,.the I'emperance holel, oi^seeing, this,,stepped.,fpr ( wivrd. and called upon.those.present.to protect Xhe.preacher,! at the same time using some ; t;xpre*ssion,which igaye instant offence.; In. a moment.'"he..was, attacked, and i had to run to save himself..., Op achieving,theseUuc-J cefses, the gallant (?) mbjß/W^rq'encourfiKe.l.audhadj: it uot bußii for tl}P.,tHr,iy, in.teryHnti9n,.of tiijJjpoUcs,]; would no doubt havaiandlcdstheiOratprniore^pughly, i As to the atlTrantage <lerivable froiii:.pt;rtuittiiy; jtliesa. i open air services/, where men, throughil excess .of ss'eaLj or other causes', 'frequfintly ■go [: beyond';,regs.onab!e j ho nds,- we expressno/opiiuon.; 'a"£ ilie'sat'ne time,Jf i the lawjjermits'it, a .d_qz;n"*or:'iwb rowdies shoultljiiop'j be permitted to interrupt or !<ssrtu!t those engage.!. | We aye iuforined, but cannot testify to the correctness of the statement, that the assailants of last night were almost exclusively Irishmen.—ilf. _. Mail Dees.