NOTES AND QUERIED

Otago Witness, Issue 1906, 21 August 1890, Page 22

NOTES AND QUERIED

THB ACCLIMATISATION QF, ANIMALS.J INVITBD. TO THE BDITOB. Slß,— l am desirous of obtaining information on certain points connected with the acclimatisation of animals and plants in New Zealand, and as very many of yonr readers are no doubt able to furnish some of the Information ssught, I [shall be glad if you will allow me to put my queries through' tbe medium of your columns. What I with to learn is tbe amount and tort of ohange which introduced species are undergoing under changed conditions, hence the questions are very' varied. The following are some of the points I wish information on:— 1. Last date in autumn and first day in spring on whioh humble bees were teen about? 2. Specimens of flowers on whioh humble bees have been observed t I should be glad to receive leaves and flowers of any plants whioh they have bean seen to visit. 3. Has anyone noticed whether tbe humble bees bite the flowers of the red olover when they visit it, or do they suck tbe honey from the mouth of the oorollaP , .. 4. I have instances recorded Of white feathers (sometimes amounting to oomplete albinism) in the plumage of blackbirds, thrashes, sparrows, and skylarks. I should bo glnd to have any othe,r wejlaubhenbloated instances ef this tendency among introduoed birds. 6. Starlings are reported to bo eating poisoned grain in SouthUud - Is this authenticated ? 6. In distiiofcs where stoats and weasels have been liberated, are they reduo tip the number of rabbits perceptibly t Are they in any way affecting tbe prevalence of birds in these distrlots ? These are a few of the questions wMch tl^t suggest themselves to me. I have, however, many other unanswered problems on this same question of acclimatisation, and with your permisoion, Sir, I shall on another occasion ask your assistance in eliciting replies to them.— l am, 40., High Bchool, Dunedln, August 18. [Will country settlers and others interested please furnish such replies as may suggest themselves to any of the above questions, and oblige.— Ed. O. W ] Whitk Gbub. — Mr W. Wilson, Ohrlstchuroh, writes:- Irrigation with pure water only will most effectually destroy both the white and grey crub, the former being the larvas of the latter. About 80 years ago I cleared a grass paddock of SO acres most completely by flooding 1% with water from two artesian wells. The partially withered wracs rapidly became luxuriant, and no grub has ever since appeared. Should the means for irrigation not exist in " Fanner. Balfonr's " case, thpn an equally effective method is. to roll the land at night with a heavy roller, for although under nround during tbe day the grubs spend the greater portion of tbe dark night on the surface, and will be mc«t readily crushed by rolling. FirwHKßi. —We have been unable to obtain the information you require, but If you write to the principal he will no doubt supply it to you. J. 8 —Only a member of your own family ata redaoed rate. Write to the Immigration Officer, Supreme Court Buildings, who will forward you necessary papers, &a., Igmobamus.— (l) The distinction is purely honorary at present, though in the middle ages considerable meaning was attaobed to it At present the only advantage oonferred appears to be (the placing of the name on a separai6 roll known as tbe Freemim's 8011. (2) Merely oooUl enjoyment, (3) It

depends almost entirely on tbe clergyman. Some t clergymen would. not oraolsfce, wb,ile others wjjj do so without' nesftatlon.., In tbe particular case you mention we are not aware what qourte was adopted) but we should say that the ceremony was performed. (4) No ; but the lives are very heavily loaded, and only the best ones accepted, (5) A pound 6f gold will make 40 sovereigns with enough to' spare for a coin about two thirds the weight of a sovereign. W. B o.— Pour oftsks of cement .would be required for 1 30 yds The f uuudatiou for the cement should be first well rammed.'thep covered with 3in or 4in of broken brick* or broken stone, with which gravel may be intermixed, or with a mixture of all three. This alio must be rammed very hard, made smooth and level on the surface. Equal parts of cerm nt and clean sharp sand must be intimately mixed, then the water added to make the cement just moist enough to spread. It must be smoothed . and levelled as the work proceeds, the whole being finished quickly, and some dry cement sifted over all. Five eighths of an inoh thick of cement will suffice. FAIRPIU.T. — You make a number of very serious oharges against persons who have taken up land in your district, and yet you do not think it worth wh^le.to even enoloie your name as a guarantee of good faith. If matters are really a« you say, you should communicate with the Land Board dlreot. , tye will forward your letter to that body if you desire us to do to. Waihola.-You have neglected to send your name with your letter, without whioh it cannot appear. B. N.- (1) We have no idea ; it was certainly not the person you allude to, nor Is your surmise at to identity correct. (2> The coincidence is certainly peculiar. (3) Are glad it is being made use of. Oioas.— They are not to be had in Dunedln, but you might possibly obtain a pair from Duckworth and Beloher. olog maker*, Chriatohurch ; price, from 15b to 90t P. 0. o.— The difference is not in the camera but in the plates employed. Write to P. Hayman and Co., Battray street, who will quote you prices and supply necessary information. M.— As thfl qiifßtion is one of general interest to se r tlera, and as one on whioh there is a good deal ■of misunderstanding, we answer it fully. There is no provision in the act by which the occupier of | land on one side of the road can compel an occupier ob the other side to join in erecting a fence ; but when one of them h*s fencf d bis side of the road, and the other adopts any means by which suoh f euoe thaU be rendered of benefioial use to himself, and avails himself of such fence suoh person shall be liable to pay to tne other interest on half tho value of the fence at the rate of 10 percent, so long as he a ntinues to avail himself of it, and he is also liable for half the repairs. But we are of opinion that thl» does not mean by merely putting sheep or oattleon his own land, and thus availing himself of the fenoe, owe becomes liable • he must not only avail himself of it, but he mutt adopt some means of availing himself of it, such, for example, at erecting a fence aoross the road. Babbitkr, Kurow.— You must empjoy a solioitor. The fact of your wife being under 31 makes no difference. Sitbscribkr, Clyde —We are of opinion that the credits do not take the account out of the operation of the statute, and that you have a good defence. Interest cannot be charged unless you agreed to pay it. ! Shadk —You cannot compel him to out them down, but you can lop the branches that overhang your land. „ Klbptomakiao.— The act was amended in 1884 for the express purpose of allowing tramways to run along streets. I#nobamus. — The husband's creditors cannot take the artlola. A STMPATiiSBR suggests to members of trade uhiohs and their friends, that they can exercise their rights and refuse to allow their children to either use or purchase any of Whltcpmbe and Tombs' school books until they ocraduofc their business on the »ame lines as other firms In the colony.