NOTES BOTANICAL AND ZOOLOGICAL FOR JULY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15824, 24 July 1913, Page 5

NOTES BOTANICAL AND ZOOLOGICAL FOR JULY.

By Richmond.

Caversham, July 14, 1913. • , Dear " Magister,"—lt is strange to see epring, summer, and winter flowers blooming in our borders in company. Ivy geraniums, primroses, lauristinus, and chrysanthemums are flowering freely together. The Btmwberry tree, "Arbutus Unedo," blooms very freely now, and both fruit and flowers can .be seen at tho same time, that is, if the birds do not get tho former. This plant is interesting because, though found in Ireland, it does not occur in England and Scotland, the nearest country where it grows wild being Spain. This distribution it shares with the London Pride, Thero is an interesting legend told of theso two plants in Can-ton's " Child's Book of Saints." The name unedo means " ono I eat," and though Booker speaks of 'the berries as eatable, others say that one is enough. Hooker also mentions that wine is made from the fruit in Corsica- A very striking plant in gardens is the molianthus, or honey treo. Strange to say rt is often called the castor oil plant, possihly beoanaj it is not like it in any -may. Melianthus is a native of tho Capo of Good Hope. The leaves are sea green, unequally pinnate and extended along the side of the stalk. The flowers are striking, though dull, and produced, in a 6pike. Their smell is very disagreeable, yet I have known branches to be placed in rooms to drive away flies, with probably the opposite result. There are good samples of this plant in tho English Southern Cemetery, and in many gardens, in one of which in Playfair street the plant grows in a tub. Many of our common pknta could bo used for decorative effect were we not wedded to conservatism. Carrots, parsnips, and leeks are striking in mixed borders; rhubarb is already used, and so is beet. Carrots are as beautiful as ferns. Another plant from South Africa, that is blooming well this winter is gazania, a marigold-like flower, with a black ring, white spotted at tho base of the petals. This opens its flowers in sunshine, especallv on walls and dry banks, another proof of the mildness of tho season. A third South African plant, the heath-like dissma, popularly called Breath, of Heaven from its* highly perfumed leaves, is in flower, ite branches covered with hundreds of white 6tarrv flowers. Coprosmasare m places in full flower, but need looking for, they are bo inoonspicuous, and a Tasmanian olearia, 0 Gunnii, I believe, is showing groat masses of flower buds. On the Cavereham Reserve the Hina Hina (Melicytus) tree associates with fuchsia. Both of these are berry bearing trees, and tho question arises: Hare they spread since the introduction of fruit-eating birds? In the Town Belt the hina hina occurs largely, and as the big timber has been cut out perhaps that is tho reason this tree is so common, »6 it is a very poor timber tree. Hina is common enough in mixed bush, but! seems to occur in masses large enough for it to make a

small colony of itself. But by far our commonest plant here to make what one might call a plant union, or association, is the manuka, and often very little else is associated with it. From now on many delightful moments will bo spent by naturalists and lovore of beauty watching tho development of the young leaves, and flower buds. Tho earliest of catkin- bearing trees is perhaps tho hazol, the male flowers of which aro now hanging in yellow clusters. The most beautiful of all, to my mind, is the willow, Salix caprea, which is showing such a wealth of silver bud 6 in tho Town Belt plantations, later to be followed by clusters of gold. Ourrante with their red buds, laburnums with silver grey ones, and hawthorn with groon and purplo aro extremely beautiful, and aro seen-best from a bank whero one can look down 011 them. Tho silver budsof the above-mentioned willow aro used on Palm Sundays at Home for decorations. A visit to tho rock pools at St. Clair reveals many beauties in winter. Some seaweeds tako on winter forms, and the pools aro much brighter than would be supposed, with reds and; browns and greens. In tho shallow end of the St. Clair baths little heaps of sand may bo seen, and if 0110 of theso be dufj up will be found to contain a sand tube with a small worm inside. The tubes arc wonderfully made, and it Iras been suggested that the worm must carefully, selcct the grains, as they aro all of a size. At the deep end of tho baths another worm, a eerpuliji, occurs in clusters on tho rocks. When the gills of theso are open the rock appears a mass of red colour. Thrust a stick into the water suddenly and the colour disappear? just as if an elcctric light had been turned oft. If ono of theso attached to a mussel or small stone bo placed in clean 6ea water and taken home great interest will be given in watching how quickly it Btops up its shell and how cautiously it reopens the door.

STEWART ISLAND ENDEMIC PLANTS.

A fortnight ago I referred to "Mr D. L. Poppelwell's lecture and said I had asked him for botanical lists of Stewart Island plants. The following was kindly 6ent in response;— Dear " Magister,"—As requested I enclose a list of species endemic in Stewart Island, together with a list of genera not hitherto found there. Of course, there are several 6pecies whoso headquarters aro on these islands, but wh:'oh havo been sparingly found on the mainland in Olearia ajigustifolia, which is only reported from Bluff and Puvsegur Point on the mainland; Genera "Stewart®, only on Herekopero Island, Snares, Solanders, etc. Different botanists may, of course, add to or take from this list slightly according to their viows as to tho limitation of species. Hoping tliis may be of interest,—l am, yours sincerely, ' D. L.' POPPELWELL.

. Stewart Island Endemic Plants.—Danthonia pungene; Uncinia compacts, R. Br., var. cassqitiformis (Kirk); Carex longiculmis (Petrie); Gaimardia ciliata, Hook f. var. ligulata (Kirk); Bulbinella Gibbaii (Cock ; ayne); Ranunculus Kirki (Petrie); Ranunculus Crosbyi (Cockayne)' Azorella Cockaynei (Diels); Aciphylla Traillii (T. Kirk); Anisotomo intermedia, Hook f. var. oblongifolia (Kirk); Anisotomo flabellata, Kirk (Cockayne); Dracophyllum Pearsoni (Kirk); Veronica Laingi (Cockayne); Brachycome Thomsoni, T. Kirk,'var. monima (Kirk); Celmisia rigida (Kirk, Cockayne); Olearia divaricata (Cockayne); Abrotanella muscova (Kirk); Olearia Traill;i (Kirk); Olearia nitida. var. C'ordatifolia (Kirk) ; Nothopanax Ederleyi, var. serrata (Kirk); Omisia modesta (DLels); Poa Poppelwelli, new species, Herekopere Island (Petrie).

Genera common on mainland but absent from Stewart Island, or at least yet undiscovered there:—Nothofagus, six or seven species; Hoheria, three species; Carmichaelia, 20 or 30 species; Sophora, three species; Gaya, two species; Phylocladus, three species; Oxalic, two species.; For those wishing to get an insight into the botany of Stewart Island beyond what this ijhort and baro list gives I suggest the reading of "Notes on the Botany of the Ruggedy Mountains and tho Upper Freshwater i Valley, Stewart Island," by Mr Poppelwell, in ''Transactions of tho New Zealand Institute for 1912. Tho paper was placed before tho Otago Institute last December. At tho same time there was presented a paper "Notes on a Botanical Excursion to Northern Portion of tho Eyre Mountains," Lako Wakatipii. Both aro full of interest to tho botanical student.

CORRESPONDENCE AND NOTES. AVili Fred look at the oaso insect at night? See, too, if it shifts its location. Get a case or two and open them. Notice how tough the envelope is and how beautifully smooth and silky tliß interior ie, and what a patent tho larva ha 3 for closing up the end. Some day 111 write a few notes on these case insects. I leave "Panax" to "Ornithologist" and " Alakihini," if they have time, to drop a note. I think it most unusual for kingfishers to be so closo in. It is quite evident that it is not generally known that native birds are protected. I do know that on the Milford track wekas are killed for the fat to gusaee boots with, and anyone "in the know" can always get live birds for export, and at certain fixed prices. I was told this confidentially eomo weeks ago, so could not use the information, but I havo sinco obtained it in another way, though I cannot make more exact use of tho information thus obtained. " Schoolboy of the Sixties" raises questions I cannot well answer. The intense heat of summer is due mainly to two cause; tho sun is shining more vertically, and it'is longer above tho horizon. The earth is in aphelion in June —summer, in the northern hemisphere; and in perihelion in December—our summer, when we aro nearer to the sun by about 3,000,000 miles than in our winter. But though we are nearer the sun in our summer than in our winter, yet our hemisphere i6,colder. The following are the reasons given in "Sullivan's Geography Generalised";— "Three causes havo been assigned for the difference in temperature between the northern and southern hemispheres. First, tho great difference in the distribution of land and water in the two hemispheres. Secondly, as the sun is nearly eight days in tho year longer on _ the northern side of the equator than he is on the southern, a greater quantity of heat is distributed in the. northern hemisphere than in the southern. And thirdly, as almost all tho ice that is formed about the south polo escapes, and is carried by the currents towards the equator, the cold which it gives out as it gradually approaches warmer latitudes, cools tho atmosphere and lessens the

temperature in proportion. The ico from the north pole, of course, has a similar effect upon the northern hemisphere, but much of the ice that is formed there is hemmed in by the land, and prevented from escaping.

" That portion of the earth's orbit which lies above the sun, or north of tho equator, contains about 184 degrees; that under the sun, or south of tho equator, about 176 degrees; and hence the sun, in the comse of a year, is nearly eight days longer in the northern than in the southern hemisphere. Or, in other words, the time between the vernal and autumnal equinoxes :s about seven days 17 hours longer than the period between the latter and tho former. This arises from the elliptical form of the earth's orbit, and from the earth's being in aphelion in summer.

"Sir John Hcrschel has shown that owing to the greater proximity of the earth to the sun during the southern summer, both hemispheres receive an equal amount of heat.

"In 1854, an iceberg was met with in the southern ocean which was estimated to be 50 miles long, four miles broad, and 150 feet high." Notice how tho third reason bears out what Captain Amundsen says about the great influence water temperature halsupon atmospheric temperature. Look up "Oceanography" last week.

Supposing Bert, Lee, and Frank—l named "F" Frank, you remember—were to search the shrubs or trees—macroearpa, etc., some fine night and capture some stick insects and keep them in a box. Perhaps they wouldj mate, and eggs result. These would hatch out. Keep well supplied with fresh leaves in plenty, and placo in a situation neither too dry nor too exposed. You will want patience though.

"Avrohom" sends us a noto on tho weasel. In this connection my apologies are due to "J." (Rimii), who has sent me With Nature and Camera, being the Adventure* and Observations of a Field Naturalist and an Animal Photographer." It is written and illustrated (180 pictures) bv the Ken-ton brothers (Richard and Cherry)—tile one handling the pen and the other manipulating tho camera. As the book has gone through nine editions, its merit is undoubted. In it frequent mention is mado of vermin in unmeasured terms, but curiously a copious in'dex makee no reference either to the stoat or the weasel. If " .T." (Joes not mind, I'li keep tho book a little lo.nger. Some time ago I made extracts from a letter reeeived from Ken Barnett, who, after serving an apprenticeship under Mr Tannoek, on his~ recommendation was admitted as a student worker in the Kew Gardens at Home. Recent news infonm us that he had gained 100 per cent, for his paper on geographical botany, and that he had won the Hooker prize for the most valuable contribution to the discussions of the society, a prize awarded by the votes of the members of the 6ocietv. What won the prize was a paper on the New Zealand flora, with the remarks lie made when referring to a paper on forestry. May his mana increase.

"Roxburgh": Thanks for specimens. I havo now had several specimens of the poripatue. I shall ly> glad of another trapdoor spider or two. There is a good example of tho spider's burrow or tunnel in the Museum.

Other promised information and notes I must hofd over including the notes on marvels of the 6ea, for I waut to make room for the fo\y remarks on, and the description of orchids, at the present so prominent a feature of the Winter Gardens. ' /' Richmond," with his botanical and zoological knowledge, puts me to 6hamc. Ho mentions a curious fact about the habitat of the strawberry plant. Further on ho mentions the hina, hina. This is found only in New 2ea.land and Norfolk Island—isn't that so? Isn't it also spelt hino Jiino? And isn't it the same as mahoc (in tho North Island) and ini ini (in the South)? How many of my young readers know that shellfish .have feet? So/iie clay before mideummor 111 give a note or two upon their mode of moving. Where is tho mouth of a cockle, etc.? It must have one, mustn't it? It is interesting to get some ink and eject it into the water near the little animal and' see it being sucked in through one aperture and ejected through another. ' Sea Dog'' (Invorcargill) sends a noto on tho Hinemcra. I was on board of htr recently, and by 0110 of tho officers—or was it tho chief steward?—was shown some of the structural changes made when she was converted from the Sunbeam yacht into tVo Hmemoa Government ship. According to "Sea Dog" my informant is wrong, or was spinning a yarn to a landsman. The story W26 volunteered, and our conversation did not suggest anything in tho way of romojicing. I have cut out a little of "JV letter, bccauso I think that his reference to tho giraffe and tllio tortoise does not apply. No one would ever imagiiio that either could ever throw back to the other, or that cither or both could throw back to any other form now recognisable, I wish, though, that 1 could get a few score of boys and girls to take such a close interest in Nature as "J." docs. Ho has an infinite fund of knowledge gathered by observation. In a covering noto "J. D." (Orookston) says:—"Although it is o, long time since I left- school, I take a good deal of interest in your P. S. column. And I don't expcct you to publish my notes, but if the facts I havo noted down are of any value you can ueo whatever you think fit," All observe tional notes or intelligent deductions or suppositions are at all times welcome Readers will notice that this week I am giving up tho whole of ray space to correspondents and to notes on their contributions. I have still some arrears to wipe off, and some promises to fulfil. Please excuso delay. - Dear "Magister,"—On Saturday, May 24, [ was down at the butts at Pclichet Bay, and perched an the handrail over the footbridge I was surprised to see a kingfisher. He looked quite bra.ve with his mottle-green tliiny back and his waistcpat of clean fawn. The footbridge is over the Opoho Creek that'flows mto I/iko Logan. I have never nohiccd a kingfisher so ne.ir town before. The bird was not scared. I " sliood " him off the rail._ and he leisurely How to tho telegraph wire. I havo seen kingGshors round tho coasts and on creeks elsewhere, but never in town before. One can recognise these birds tho fust time one sees them; (hoy very much resemble those wo see in piotures from. Homo. Now tlwt the "red kaka" is safejn tho Museum., X

think I will venture a few questions about protected birds. We were down south recently, and " tucker" ran short—tho tinned fish had been lost in a swag cn tho mil way. There ivcre plenty of kakas, pigeons, and wekas about, so wo didn't starve. Kakas roasted (with sandflies for sauce—and aren't they hot?) always to bo liko Shanghai olastio; but stewed kakas, with plenty of salt in tho water, are quite a treat with bread and hunger sauce. Tho questions I would liko answering are (1) is it a crime to shoot kakas if your food hns : run short ? (2) -Can Maoris talco them for food? (3) Is there any shooting season for kakas? Theso questions wero debated overy night as wo were seated round the crackling fire oE driftwood piled up by tho river. But wo never reached anything definite. Kakas aro very sociablo birds. When one is shot ami wounded, its cries will bring around aJI tho birds within earshot. Tho trees -would seem to bo alive with kakas, screeching and whistling. Then another shot would bring a couplo down, and tho survivora would wing away to all the points of tho compass, only to return when tho cries of the wounded were resumed. They seem most affectionate creatures. We saw hundreds in the few days wo wero in tho heavy bush below Lake Hauroto. Another point I would liko to mention is the rqund, full'whistle of the kaka when rallying round tho wounded. Tho mako-mako (or mockie) lias a song which wo rendered as "Tako your coloured socks off " ; sometimes it is one note longer: " Tako your coloured stockings off." Thcso two phrnees give tho right number of syllables, bo that we oould easily remember the whistle. Now, the tui, to my ear, whistles tho same little song, only the noto is fuller and moro mellow. When tho kaka rallies round its wounded mates it alternates hoarse 6quawks with the very musical song that it has evidently learnt from tho tui and the mockie. Has any reader of this column noticed the similarity? I suppose that most people who have knocked_ about the coasts of Otajfo have, at some or another, run across a f_ow stray penguins. Can "Ornithologist" or " Makinihi " enlighten mo as to tho species? It obviously is not the Emperor, for ho stands three to four feet high. The birds we find on tho beaches of Otago are only about 20 inches high and must be either tho Glentoo penguin "(Pygoecelis papua) or the black-throated Adelie (Pygo6cel:s adeliffi) Our dog rounded one up on the shores of Tewaewao Bay, and it was most comical to eee tho expression of " Fancy meeting you I" in the attitude of dog and bird. Poor old "Storm" expected the stranger to run; but, no, it turned and faced him. The dog for a moment was very much embarrassed, but eventually decided on a flank or a rear attack. But as tho magnetic needle always points to the pole, so the penguin turned its face to tho dog, who was frightened to come to close quarters. However, Mr Penguin could only look ono way a time. . He may have taken us for big Emperor comrades, but a sudden grab at the back of his neck must have disillusionised him a great deal. After we had pxamined his quaint little flippers and his half-feather-and-nalf-hair clothing wo let him go, thinking that he would straight awav dive into tho water. But where ho was brought up he had learned that dangerous things lived in the water. In the Antarctic wlien the penguin wishes to avoid trouble lie clambers on to the solid ice, for there no enemies can harm him. No men or polar bears can bother him as in the Far North. In the Arctic seals are almost- unapproachable because of . the fear of boar

and Esquimaux, But in these 6outhern regions seals and penguins are generally easily approached. So when our ponguin was placed on tho sand, instead of seeking safety in the breakers, he turned round again and faced the dog! Eventually we carried him out into the -water, and, with a good throw, heaved him well out. He hit tho water with a .splash, and went off liko an arrow for about 30 yards; ho then dived again, and, swimming under water, ho made a lot of zig-zag rushes until ho disappeared' round the point Kingfishers, kakas, and penguins—that will have to do for to-day!— Yours, etc., Panax.

Dear " Magister,"—Ono day as I was climbing up a hawthorn tree I found three very email cocoons. They "were on a branch at the top of the tree, and were very close to each other. They wero fastened on to thos branch with fine threads which the caterpillar had spun, and they had little bits of leaves stuck over them, so that they looked just liko tiny leaves until we examined them. They aro not half an inch loner, so that I think the insect that comes oufi will bo a very email one.—Youra sincerely, F. Sjieal.

Dear " Magister,"—Wo thank you very much for ycrur kindness in sending us the book on insects, and we enjoyed looking at tho beautiful coloured pictures, especially red admirals and dragon flies. We were much interested in tho pictures of tho stick insect. Leslie and I wero just thinking that we would like to see the little Gtick insects casting off their skins.—Yours sincerely, Best Lawmnce, Leslie Thompson.

Roxburgh, July 8, 1913. Dear " Magister;"—For some time I havo been intending to send you a trapdoor spider and some traps, and on various occasions have had some boxed up for that purpose. Shortly before Easter Mr D. Ross brought mo some peripatus, and I said I would take them to Dr Benham or yourself on a trip that was impending about that time. However, as usual, I forgot in the rush of getting off To-dav, in rummaging through some tins, I found the peripatus tin, and, to my surprise, they wero still alive. So I am posting them under separate cover in a chocolate box. There aro two-4ho larger easily to bo found. If you fail at first to find tho smaller, shako all tho contents out and spread out. Although I did that to-day I did not find the 6econd one until I was putting them ■into a box for you. In tho nib box you will find the lids of a couple or more—l don't remember now, it being some time since I boxed them, and I have posted the boxes— of trapdoor tubes and a small portion of tho tubo to show the method of attachment, A small piede of wadding is stuffed into each tube. One of your Irish correspondents [no joke-intended, I had a request from Ireland] made rather an amusing request somo timo ago. These tubes run several feet into the ground, 'and if sufficient soil were dug to. show the whole tunnel, the weight would run into 6everal hundredweight, I sent ,you a large spider per favour of Mr Roes; and, if you want another, I daresay I could get you some, but cannot guarantee the time. Roxburgh. St. Clair, Juno 27.

Dear " Magister,"—l read with interest your notes in tho Timc6 of Juno 26, and notico you eay the earth is nearer tho 6un in winter ttyan in summer, which suggests tho question:. Why is summer usually warmer than winter? I have been long under tho impression that it wa6 taught that it was because wo are nearer the sun in summer, or that its rays 6hono more directly at that season. However, my own idea 16 that if we aro really about 8J millions of miles distant from the eun the difference in distance from summer to winter does not account for difference in toinperaturo, but think that it is piore likely that it is the result of the sun (as you point out) shining on our atmosphere for nearly double the length of time in summer than it does in the winter. I have, on a fmo sunny day in June, placed a thermometer in the sun, and it has run up almost as high as it would on a warm: day in summer. Of course, there are other things at work whioh affect tho changes of atraospheito heat or oold and keep the air in circulation. Have you noticed how often, especially in the 6pring, the eun rises and shines out beautifully for from half an hour to an hour, then clouds gather and obscure it, and often result in a wet day? I have wondered if the sun's heat draws tho moist air in its direction a 6 it rise 6, with the result that when it accumulates in too great a weight it falls in rain (i.e., the moisture, not the sun). Another question which may be of interest to your young readers is: Why is it) a fact that if you point a lino or straight odtre from the top of Flagstaff to the horizon it is dead level? Somo of your readers, if they doubt this, might take the straight edge and a spirit! level in tho holidays and try it.—-lam, etc., Schoolboy of the Sixties. •

Cairnfield, Kakanui, July 11, 1913. Dear " Magister,"—ln to-day's issue of the Times I notice a letter to " Magister" on tho weasel. Gats do attack .tljo weasel, and when desiring warm, fresh flesh will cat a part of the body even, as they will do with the flesh of tho rat. An old bachelor, ray near neighbour, has a cat he namo Jim. Well, about a week ago lie found Jiin -with a weasel partly eaten. Oats aro considered a nuisanco in the garden, but when Jiot overfed as to become lazy they are of intense value in away vermin and in thinning out birds which would devour all the fruit. While digging the- heavy eo.il known as " tarry " ground I could not help noticing tho absence f the small earthworm, Lumbricas campeatrus. The large worm is present, as are abundance of grub and caterpillars. One of these I send for identification. Avrohoii.

110 Leet street, Invercargill, July 12, 1913.

Dear " Magister,"—lt is not a fact, as queried by you, that " the Ilinemoa is Lord Brcesey's pleasure yacht Sunbeam transformed into a lighthouse tender. The Hinemoa was built on the Clyde in 1876 for the New Zealand Government to replace the old paddle steamer Luna, and was christened Hinemoa when ehe was launched. She originally had three pole masts, one of which has since been removed. The Glasgow Herald, in reporting the launching, said she was 'the prettiest model that over gratjed the Clyde.' The Sunbeam—that is tho steamer Sunbeam—was a smaller boat. Lord Brassey'6 original Sunbeam was a barquentine, and was wrecked somewhere near Thursday Island about 18 years ago, and the steamer yacht Sunbeam was built to replaco her. Tho Hinemoa, in her young days, was a flyer and held a, good many Now Zealand coastal TCcords.—Yours, etc., Sbadog. Papatowai, July 12, 1913. Dear "Magister,"—ln reply to "Ornithologist," who thinks the scarlet kaka is a direct throw-back to a tropica! red parrot or humming bird, birds or plants in a natural state of nature do not throw back or revert to a type. He has got muddled with domestic instances, in which man, by selection, can produce wonderful varieties. Theso varieties frequently throw back, but ancestral do not. I notice in the same letter in the Witness, July 2, " Ornithologist" identified a pied-fantail's nest by an addled egg in it, and this enabled him to say thitt he thought it is not that of the black species. Can " Ornithologist" or any other correspondent, say that ho has seen a black fantail's nest? Tho black and tho pied are reared in tho same nest.— Youns, etc., J. Rimu.

Dear " Magister,"—l tiling that I am in a position to answer 11. Watt' 6 query in regard to stoats capturing fresh-water crayfish. The first time my attention was drawn to it was some years ago while shifting a pile of netting and stakes, when wo found a groat quantity of the remains of crayfish find a stoat's nest. Since then I have come across several similar plants in old 6traw stacks near the creek which runs through the .place, where crayfish are very plentiful. Within tho last few weeks we got another deposit under the thatch of a sheaf 6tack we were stripping to cut. It was only a few yards from the orcok. And we knew that a stoat was living in the stacks somewhere. About six weeks ago ho took a fancy for a change of diet, and started on the poultry, taking one every night till ho killed over 20 hens and the rooster. I had traps set for somotimo without . success, till I found a small Oiolo at tho back where he had been getting in. And I had him tho following morning. Since then thero havo been no more dead found. Three years ago I was riding through one of the paddoclce, and stopped to speak to tho man working tho team, when I saw a rabbit tacking through tho tussocks in a peculiar way, similar to a dog close on a hare. Then wo saw a large stoat in front running for all lie was worth. After hunting tlio 6toat out of sight the rabbit camo back and sat at tho mouth of tho burrow. I presumo it was a doo with 'young ones in tho hole, After witnessing the hunt, my man remarked: "That is surely a-reversal of the order of nature.'' Some few days after that I was riding along tho road to the township. A stoat crossed the road in front of 1110 and ran into a rabbit hole. Almost at tho 6amo time my do£ started a rabbit. It also bolted into tlio samo hole. Tho 6toat came out quicker then bo went in, and cwi'W

up and along the branches of tho gorse. The hedgo being newly cut I could see him distinctly, looking as timid as a hunted mouse. We have 6ome very pretty hybrid ducka, a cross between the Indian-runner and the grey wi'd duck. Last year they hatched out about 60 young ones, and as each brood l came on to tho pond there were ono or two gone overy morning. At tho end of the eeason there was only ono left, I have come to the conclusion that _ the stoat is h great coward, is fast exterminating our native birds, and is very little use for tho purpose he was introduced—namely, to exterminate the rabbits, as he only kills to satisfy his hunger—Yours, etc., J.D.