WAIKAKA VALLEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2003, 14 July 1892, Page 21

WAIKAKA VALLEY.

July 12.—The weather was so fine and mild during last week that some of us were led to think that there would be an early spring. It is now, however, so decidedly wintry that we have no thoughts of spring. Rain commenced to fall yesterday morning, and although it cleared about midday it was noticed that there had been a fall of snow on the hills, and as the air gradually became colder we were not surprised when at nightfall there was a thin coat of snow on the low lands. It was a little thicker this morning, but it had disappeared b> noon. Last Sunday was such an unusually fine day, although the glass was falling, that some aie now reflecting that it occurred to them that a change was imminent. On that day, although the air was very clear, sounds could be heard a great distance. In the forenoon, for instance, one of the church bells at Gore was distinctly heard at a distance of seven miles. Apropos to this subject, a few remarks about the transmission of sound may be made. Differences of opinion exist as to the conditions of the atmosphere most favourable for the transmission of sound. Until 20 years ago it was the generallyreceived opinion that fog deadened sound, and that one could always hear further on a clear day, but Piofessor Tyndall his shown conclusively that fog instead of retarding sound really transmits it with greater freedom than an atmosphere which, though optically clear, may yet be, so far as its accoustic properties aie concerned, turbid or riocculcnt. The difficulty that is sometimes experienced of hearing sounds on days of great optical clearness has further been accounted foi in this uay : Aqueous vapour often occurs in the air in the form of invisible streaks or curtains, which break the continuity of the sound. These curtains have been known to retaid the progress of sound to such an extent as to render unheard at the distance of three or four miles the reports of 40 or 50 cannon hivd continuously during an engagement in the Franco-Prussian war. The pulis of smoke could be distinctly seen, but not a sound was heard by the observeis. The firing at the battle of Waterloo, on the other hand, was heard at Dover in England, ISO miles away, and there is a well authenticated instance of the midday gun at Portsmouth, during a dense fog, having been heard at Fulham, 41 miles distant. RumiTS.—Rabbit destruction is receiving very careful attention here this winter. The Croydon Rabbit Factory has been an inducement to kill as many as possible, and rabbiters have been making good wages. Nests of young rabbits are frequently found at present, and the fumigating machines should be used in the spiing time, otherwise trapping will be necessary during the summer.