NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2331, 3 November 1898, Page 46

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Questions for re i>ly in coming issue to oe received not later than Monday niuM.

THRUSHES EATING SHELLFISH. The following interesting information is communicated by Mr James A. Jack, of Hooper Inlet School: — " Three nesting seasons ago I was walking along tho beach road at Hooper Inlet. 1 ncticed one scattered heap of broken periwinkle shells, mostly freshly broken. The bird which was living on these shellfish I found to be a thrush. I never saw more than one bird at a time at the spot, and do not know whether it was the male or female. It always flew off in the same direction — towards a thick, clump of bush. As the winter came on there were fewer fresh shells to be seen, till at last 1 could notice no fresh ones at all. Next season I noticed two distinct patches, but never caught birds leaving both places at the same time. Tho new patch was being formed near another clump of bush, but at a considerable distance from the first chimp. As in the previous year, no shellfish were eaten after the nesting season was over. I could find no other similar feeding places anywhere round the beaches of Hooper lulet or Papanui Inlet. . . This season I noticed shells on Tuesday last, but only in one spot as yet. I infer from what I have seen that tho first thrush reared its young laigely, if not wholly, on these shellfish. Next season both parents and young reared broods also on shellfish." In the old country thrushes often betake themselves to the sea coast in winter and feed upon shellfish, but as the nesting season approaches they usually withdraw to the wooded country. In this country, where the food supply is still so abundant, and tho winters are so mild, only occasional case 3of this molluscan diet may be expected to occur, but it would be of interest if others of our readers who livp near the sea coast would take the trouble to look for the same phenomenon. T. H. M., Pukerau wiites: In his interesting chats with the boys " Pater " is rarely wrong, but in his chat of September 29 he was nodding when he said that " Chaucer in his ' Canterbury Tales ' gives us all sorts and conditions of men and of women, but no child." '" Pater " overlooked ' The Prioress's Tale," of 34 stanzas, all about a little child — his &hort life and cruel death, and wonderful abilities before death and after. Like all Chaucer's, the poem is of purest English, but marked with the superstition of his time, 1328-1400, a.d. In this case, however, perhaps tho fault is clue to the lady recluse, the supposed narrator, rather than to the poet. A Youthful Maori Scholar asks if any reader will give him the meaning of the following 10 Maori names, and any reason why or how the namo was attached to the place when the pakeha came: Wairaumu, Waikaka, Waikaia, Pukerau, Otaraia, Waimea, Otama, Otamiia, Otamete and Nokomai. Replies invited fiom local residents or others knowing the circumstances under which the name was given. Ma oki Dictionary. — You do not say whose it is, but we should think it is cheap at the price. Tregear's is published at a guinea. Oamaru. — We can scarcely be expected to reproduce the pedigree, but if you get any friend in Dunedin to cal! at the office we shall allow him to copy it out of the bound volume for you. Arrow. — No, probably it is a trade secret. Have you tried the white of egg diluted with water ? G. M. — (1) Ten drops of tincture of myrrh to a glass of water make a nice wash for the month ; a teaspoonful of spirits of camphor or peppermint in tho eanio gargle will make

a capital antiseptic. Eating ripe fruit and drinking plenty of cold water is recommended in cases of offensive breath arising from indigestion. (2) Bathe your eyes in weak alum water and give over any close work as soon as you feel the tired aching sensation coming on. P. P.— (l) The objection to your letters is that they require to be either typewritten or rewritten before they can go to the compositor, and also because you began to imagine you were called upon to criticise every letter that appeared on tho rabbit question. We have no objection to any statement made in our columns being subjected to criticism, but newspaper conductors and readers alike tire of any correspondent who has a craze for continually writing to tho papers. (2) The Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company, who took over portion^ of Nelson Bros', business. He has not resigned. M. R. D. — " Caviare to the general " means above the taste or comprehension of ordinary people. Caviare is a kind of pickle made from the roe of sturgeons, much esteemed in Muscovy. It is a dish for the well-to-do, but beyond the reach of the general public. D. R. — The conviction of Mrs May brick for the murder of her husband occurred in Liverpool on August 7, 1889 ; the death sentence was commuted to penal servitude for life on August 22. Old Subscriber. — It is not lawful to shoot a dog which is merely passing over land and not worrying sheep, nor is it lawful to lay poison for dogs within three chains of any highway, whether notice of doing so is given or not. Subscriber. — A, before erecting the fence, should have given notice to B in the way pi escribed in the Fencing Act. Not having done so, he cannot compel B to join in erecting the fence or contribute to the cost of same. H. R.— Unless No. 2 adopts some means by which the fence is rendered of beneficial use to him, and thus avails himself of the fence, he cannot be made to pay anything. Constant Reader, Kelso. — Hop beer: Take 101b sugar, lOgal water, 4oz hops, a piece of isinglass, a few raisins, two large bottles of porter, or a pint of yeast. Boil a gallon of tho water with the sugar and hops for an hour, then strain into a t\ib, and put the hops on again in a little more water and boil for half an hour; strain into the tub, and then into the cask with a piece of muslin over the funnel to prevent the seeds going in, then fill up with cold water, which will make the 10 gallons. It must be filled up every morning for four days with cold water, and the day before bottling a piece of isinglass dissolved in a little oi the beer warmed has a good affect in clearing it. The yeast or porter is put in after the cask is filled, as ar>.- also the raisins. If bottled on the fifth clay it is almost ready for drinking. Miner.— Mr Beverly kindly replies:— (l) If the stamps are worked at the ordinary rate and lift, they will require about 1-h.p. per stamp, or 8-h.p. With 3 heads of water this will T-e-quire about 36ft fall. (2) If the pipes are of moderate length, lOin ; or if very long, llin in diameter will be needed, and the nozzle 3|in. (3) It is safer to have these appliances on a long line of pipes when there is great pressure, but not absolutely necessary when the line is short, or the pressure modciale. (4) The race will require about 2 square feet section, with 12ft per mile fall. Inquirer. — Mr Beverly replies: — I do not think so ; but this is a question for law experts-; See definite reply next week. Condenser. — Mr Beverly replies: — The colder the condenser of a steam engine is kept the better; but in ordinary engines as much power is spent in pumping the extra water to keep it below lOOdeg Fahr. as is saved by the more complete condensation. In your case, it is quite different, as you have to pump an extra supply of water for sluicing. You may secure 10 per cent, more power from the condenser by keeping it cold. J. 8., Mataura.— (l) The Public Works Statement shows that the net expencliluis .n isiiways up to March 31, 1898, was jS:G.CSc< 173 18s 9d; with liabilities amounting to £77,167 7s 4d. (2) We cannot say the total value, but the cost of the Wellington-Manawatu line (including rolling stock and equipment) was £763,729. Subscriber, Seacliff. — The average yields in wheat per acre in New Zealand during the four years 1894-97 were 20.15 bushels, 24.32, 27.88, and 22.92. The averages for Great Britain for the same years were 30.69 bushels, 26.23, 33.68, 29.09. You did not mention what grain, but we presume you meant wheat. Taieri River. — We presume you mean tho horse parade held on September 29 at Tahuna Park. If so, no awards are made at that fixture, but our report says: — "Among the Clydesdales, those which attracted most attention and commanded the greatest amount of admiration may be said to have been Workman, Lord Lyon, C'.ydebank, and Inzievar." Pomona. — We submitted your question to Mr J. C. Blackmord, Government Pomologist, who kindly replies: — While visiting the Central Otago district, I noted that small birds did considerable damage not only to blossom buds of all kinds of fruit trees, but also to the wood buds. In this respect the goldfinch is especially destructive. I would suggest the systematic poisoning of the linnet and goldfinch by the aid of small weed seeds, which could easily be saved for the purpose during the threshing season. Sorrel seed is excellent. It should be impregnated with some su'table poison, and laid wnere they congregate during winter. I would also suggest thoroughly spraying all parts of the trees during winter with the lime, salt, and sulphur mixture. This will to a great extent prevent the birds from eating the wood and blossom buds, and at the same time destroy the scale, which is so prevalent on fruit trees in the south, and m addition destroy the resting spores of fungi, besides being beneficial in other ways. Again, just as the buds are swelling, the trees could be thoroughly sprayed with arsenate of lead, say, in the proportion of lib or more to 50gal of water, with the addition of 21b black treacle. xJarticulars of arsenate of lead and the proportion of lime, salt, and sulphur required you will find in leaflet No. 10, second edition issued by the Agricultural department, which should be in the hands of every fruit-grower, and can be piocured from any stock oJice throughout the colony, or direct from myself, Christchurch, or the Department of Agriculture, at Wellington. Bluff.— An oarman's amateur status is not affected by the fact of his having ridden for cash in cycling. Inqujßer. — A and B are playing 5-card crib. A plays first and plays a 3, B plays a 4, A plays a 4, B plays a 3, A plays a 2, B plays a 5. Does 5, 2, 3, 4 count a run of four or not? Yes.