OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 86

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN.

i ' FOR SENIORS AND JUNIORS. ! (Conducted by Magister, to whom all ccm- ! musications must be addressed.) "A VERY CONSERVATIVE PARTY." The second portion of Mr Drummond's account of the Tuatara I must *hold over I through press of correspondence and comi ments. « THE BOTANICAL SURVEY OF THE TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK. Mr E. G. Allen, M.P., has kindly sent me the above report for use in my columns, and I am much obliged to him for v it. Those interested in the preservation 'of our avi-fauna and flora, and who wish to-be-come acquainted with the wealth or information on this region, should get. it. Mr L. Cockayne, Ph.D., etc., has^ prepared an exhaustive botanical report for it, and in addition to the map there is a fine series of pictures reproduced from photographs. INFORMATION WANTED. Dorothy Tennanfc wants to know if the thrush- sings his song twice over. Read her letter and send in answers. ■" J.," in his letter, refers to the Declana egregia moth, and asks if it is seen about Dunedin. It isn>t mentioned in Hudson's Elementary Manual of New Zealand Entomology- Will someone give particulars? Who will uive me an account of the sand drifts at the Maori Kaik? *7hat changes have taken place since the early days? There are one or two R>od aanateur geologists down Mataura, way : will one give me a short account of the history of the Mataura River? In notes of correspondence, reference is made to Maori migration through Otairo. Who will give me a note or two on these migrations I \ NOTES ON CORRESPONDENCE. I One of the office staff jocularly said to mo the other day that I shail soon want a mail bag to myself. The last three weeks I have been exceeding my space by a J cx>lumn ajid then have not- inserted all I ; wanted to. This week three or four oocrcepondents will see- that I have had to condense their letters, or rather cut out sec- , tion6. In a newspaper I get there is •&. j weekly column on Nature Notei, but} . seldom docs a letter appear, and, to my | mind, it is wanting in that charm and. confidence present — when correspondents I speak in their own style. I want the personality of the writer to appear; but as I have not time to condense, and as I wish all letters to appear and without delay, I must ask correspondents not to bo longwinded unless they have something rcaJly good to say. Occasionally, too, I receive letters in poncil — an " H" at that, and on glazed paper — and written on both sides. Pencil-work, perhaps badly written, and on glazed paper, ia trying to the linotypwt ; I antf writing on two sides of tho paper necossilatce my writing haJf over agait;, j and I have not time. Please, then, write in ink, and oa one side only. Mr Hart, of tho Moaraki lighthouse, « on© of the few who are willing to go to considerable trouble to help in keeping this column a live one ; and he has enlisted 'At?. sympathies of Mr E. Parka, of the Capa Mai iii, Van Diemen lighthouse, who haa gcr.o to considerable trouble to get thu» shells which v.ere sent to mo and which arrived in good condition. Readers wha did r.ot know that wo have a snail carrying its house on its back, indigenous to thq Dominion, should visit tho Museum and; exajr.no them. SojKo <lay I may give R| fuller note on 62uga an<l snai!<3The publication of Thomas Bracken's New 1 Zealand Anthem has evidently arcus«*d tho dormant interest of many in hi« poems. ,' "A. H." scr.d-s alonpr for my perusal a little ' green-covered volume of Bracken's Poems, " ! having on its titlo page " Behind tho Tomb; and Other Poems." It was published in 1871 by Clarson, Massina, and Co., printers, 72 Littlo Collins street East. Aa far as I know, it ia ths earliest collection of his poems published. It is dedicated to M. J. MacNamara, Esq., the dedication being followed by the following- verse bj< Wolfe :- My own friend, my own friend, There's no one liko my own. fri-end ; For all the gold tho world could hold, I would not give my own friend

1 J?, ra< : ken ' 6 preface, written on April 20,cc J - s wortn reproducing: — <t>' '3^ itn tit& exception of the first piece 1 r^ hm^ the Tomb - and a f ew othera Ltne volume contains 33 pieces.— Magistbb] the following, effusions have appeared irom time to time, in various New Zeal tv^f t £ H! tralian Periodicals, and. therefore, I shall mate no apology for'sub- : fo r^ ne them to tJI « Public in a. collected m "J? a 1 .i B °" ahead ' money-Rrubbinsr comfirTV?*^™ 9.,*9 '„*- 18 not surprisinjf to i^u^* ***„ dlvme maiden-Poesy-should be compelled to stand aside, leaning on her weeping lyre, unheard and unfelt by the worldly crown, and that her disciples should be reckoned sentimental fools by prosaic individuals who have no ear for <my music but the jingling of cash, and whose diminutive hearts are incapable of throbbing beyond the narrow compass of self. " But, happily, there are some men of refined intellect in midst, who can look lovingly on the face of Nature and call her mother, whose bosoms slow with sranct emotions 'neath the warmine influence o* the 'Royal Art' which David cherished — in short, men who can appreciate tfou ennobling power which it exercises on 6ociety. "In thus dwelling on tie importance of poetry to a. people, I 60 not for a moment presume to rank myself amour the erifted band, as I «m but a mere tyro in the asrt. and a humble follower in her train. The garland 1 which I now offer at her shrine is but^e simple wreath of bush flowers culled in the calm dells of Victoria, interwoven with modest daisies, gathered on the flaxclad hilh which gird that prettiest of *- colonial towns— Dunedi n; and the pleasure • I enjoyed in bringing them together, comj bined with the knowledge that they will receive a_ hearty welcome from roanv friends, will more than repay me for any adverse criticisms which their demerits may call forth." Perhaps my drawing attention to Bracken's poems . may lead to teachers giving selections from Bracken and- other New Zealand poets as a part of the poetry syllabus for the^year. . Another idea occurs to me. Why not have in connection with the Competitions Society an evening of readings, recitations. and songs from ; and by New Zealand authors? I think there is variety enough to j»ve a good competition. Til return "A. H.s " volume in a few days. "W. B." sends come very appropriate spring and other Nature selections from Barns, which I am reluctantly compelled to hold over. I am pleased that "Woc<dlander's" verses are appreciated. In referring to my columns, W W. B." says: — "I believe your columns are very interesting to many young New Zealan<den. and are doing them a lot of good. ' They will now know that the New Zealand Anthem is set to grand music." As poetry is my theme just now, I might remind readers of a little volume entitled " New Zealand Verse," -compiled < by "Wl F. Alexander and A. E. Carrie, of Christchurch, and published .by the Walter Soot* Publishing Co. (Ltd.), at, I think, Is sd. i I sent Mtt Trotters speciß?ens v to Dr I Benham, who kindly cent a -reply wiriclj follows the letter. ; And Mr Trotter^a specimens remind mo that the weta is enother cbap I am to give a note upon one of these days. * - "J.s" letter is nothing if not dogmatic. Unless Dr Fulion or " Ornithologist" wish to have another say upon the fanta'l,. I think we'll ring off tha controversy — in the meantime, at anyrate. Perhaps some canary breeder will favour us with a note on artificial feeding, and we shkili await with- interest the -inquiries being m*de on this subject. Isn't "J." wrong^when' ho leads us to infer that lizards are mammals? Reptiles are z;ot mammals, are they? " Erewhon " isn't " Nowhere," but a very livo iittle place with an alert teacher and almost equally alert scholars. Burrougha's little books can be bought for a shilling:, each, I think, and are leisurely reading for leisure moments, especially out in til* open. " Student " Las a very interesting letter on Coprosmas. He is quite right in saying that our schoolboys and girls should 1 know Nature aa it exists in and around Dunedin; but how is ifc to be done? Over I and o\er again teachers are disheartened ! by tho fact that a good deal of what is 1 common een&3 observational work has to bo left undone because it does not tell for examination purposes. All must draw, do i arithmetic, and English on defined line;, geography, etc., to give immediate results, j Why must we turn out all from cue ■ mould? 1 S. Captain's letter is simple, but on right lines. Sbm — I'll assume '* S." stands for Sam — might go further. Can you distinguish one bird's nest from another? Do you know in what surroundings any particular bird builds? Don't rob tho nests of native birds except that perhapsyou may take one egg to form a collection. " Bruee's " letter, too, is written by one of my young readers. A portion of his I letter is cut out -because it contains nothing new and is not the result of personal / I observation. I shall be glad to get letters 011 localities from school children, if the letters contain geological, botanical or historical details that will be of interest. " Bruce " refers to the formation of the Taieri Plain: he may fee right or wrong — if the latter, others will have a chance of enlightening him. To give another instance. " Tom " — [ his letter doesn't appear because ho hasn't 1 written one — telh me' that Maoris came I over from the West Coast via Lindis Pass to Wanaka. Then a division took place, 1 one- lot. going down the Clutha— evidence of their travels have been found in" the Makarora. Valley, — and the other crossing over the " cattle fiats " to tho Shotov«r, via a spur of the Harris Mountains.- This division was the first discoverers of gold in Otago, and Maori Point is where tho*, discovery was made. Continuing on to Queenstown, this division split into two* detachments, one going down the Mataura, ' tho other down the Kawarau, and so into tho Molyneux and down that river as » second invasion. Now, ia this true or hob? I should like a short series of letters on " tho Maoris of Otago, accompanied, if ' possible, by sketch maps showing the routes along which migrations took place, and also where battles were fought. A copy of Dr Fulton's pamphlet baa been posted ±0 "Thorpe Tafbot," who is at present an invalid, and who write*

after reading the extracts I gave from 'the doctor's paper. "Thorpe Talbot read them in the Witness. I might as well add that my columns are sometimes reproduced, only in part, in the Witness. Thoogh th-& "Witness is the largest -weekly in Australasia, if not in the world, yet even then pressure on its space causes much to be omitted that might be read. CORRESPONDENCE. Thk Cuckoo. As will be •seen' further on, several letters are again held xJver, but as two contain reference to the cuckoo I am making a note here, seeing that it has arrived. "Ornithologist" «ays it came to the West Taieri "as regularly as a clock oi» the 22nd or 23rd of September, and adds: , "Let everybody— boys, girls, and adults— 'look 6ut!'" "J.," Kimu, said it put ' in an appearance at Catlin's River on the 29th ult. OOKBE!sro2rx>Esrcß Han Ovra. MeteorologicaJ records by Mr Roberts and my young correspondents Alick and Belle: "W. B." on "Volunteering; "Kia Ora's" letter on electricity — or, rather, a jiote on it ; " Old Boy "on the call of the little owl; "J." on canaries; "Robin"" and*' "Robina," Nature notes; "Ornithologist's " letter on cuckoos aisd 'fanstails ; < mud reference to Mr Dyer's generosity. As I had more than enough in spite of the ' cutting down of some letters, I made 1 - up | my columns a little earlier than usual. These letters have first call -next. week. Two, however, are written en two sides ©f the paper. Address Wasted. Will " Robina " send me her address again? I stupidly tore up the addressed envelope. Til pay postage this time. Moeraki Lighthouse, September 30. ' Dear sj[ Magister," — The enail shells (Plaeostylus horagii) I promised to try to get for you and Dr Benham «re forwarded herewrth. Will yen 7 please pass some on to th* doctor? Captain Bcllons thinks the white or bleached specimens are possibly a different variety from the brown ones. Perhaps Dr Benhem would express an opinion i about fhis. Although about three acres of j ground are strewn with the bleached 'shells, , it is difficult to find strong, perfect ones; . 49 out of every 50, through bsing perished* break if handled much. Visitors to the Dun- ] «din Museum should inspect the newly-die- j covered snail from thg Three Kings Islands, j earned from its finder, Captain Bollons, I Placosiylus Bollonsii. Three and three-quar- j » ter inches long, and mottled, it is larger and prettier than its relative and neighbour from Cape Maria Van Dieraen Island (Placostylus liongii), which can be seen alongside in (he same case. I wonder whether the Kernaadee Islands produce stillf another variety of Placostylus? If they do, it would go to prove that that group, > the Three Kings group, and Cepe Maria ' V*n Diemen were once connected. Your thanks, xre due to Mr E. Parks, of ,Cap& Maria Van Diemen lighthouse, for the ebslls herewith. — Yours truly, Sajhtel Hast. Dunedin, October 2. P«ar " Magister," — Although I have attained middle-age I derive great pleasure from reading your weekly notes in the Otago Daily Times. Yesterday's notes contained references to the late Thomas Bracken — and it has occurred to me that perhaps a small volume of his poems, which I send ycu herewith, may be of interest — not so much on account of the poems, perhaps, as you will have read them all years ago, but on account of its date of publication, 1871 — 37 years ago. Could you #ay if it is the earliest edition ol his poems that was published. I 'notice that some of bis verse," including a prize poem, mentioned in your noie^ are in it. The New Zealand National Anthem would bs written~4ong after 1871.— Youtb truly, A. H. Mornington, October 1. Dear " Magister,"— l am writing to ask you if you would tell me whether or not the thrush sings his songs twice ever. A quotation from, on© of our pieces ssafe:3 f e : " That's the wise thrush. He sings each song twice over, l«3t you should think he never could recapture the first fine careless rapture." Thanking you in anticipation, — I am, yours truly, DoEOTHif Tekxjet. Dear " Magister," — Under separate cover I post you two insects for identification. They were obtained from th« roof of a small limestone cave towards the head of Trotter's Creek. Tho cave is known locally as the '"Spiders" Cave, though the ineects, widely are . very numerous in it, evidently not •piders. I caught the two lam sending you on Saturday l«et, but they were <Jead -in tie box next morning. — Yours truly, W. S. D. TaoTTEB. Museum, October 2. Dear " Magister,"— The two insects from the roof of a limostone cave near EKIIgTOTe are male acd female of a species of "eave■wetay belonging either to the genus, as far as I can make out, pachvrbarnma. or to pharmacus. The former is known to inhabit limestone caves in New Zealand, but the latter has only bsen recorded from mountain tops. It is not easy to disiirguish these a»d other genera without spending a good deal more time than I can spare just now. The genus belongs to the order orthophera. closely related to hemideina. and the common garden weta, onosandrus. — I am, etc., W. B. Bejtham. CatHn's River. Dear " Magister," — In reply to " Ornithologist," who says he is not going to argue over the matter, merely saying -'that those who know infinitely more than I ever didi about our birds are_ satisfied the two fantails are, two distinct species. Those that know better than you must be satisfied that there , is only one species with two of a variety. • *' Ornithologist" was amused at the different opinions people have on the fan tail question. j\'ow the opinions of the* doctor and of " Ornithologist" were the same, bo they thought what everybody said mu3t be true. It was the history of the fantail I gent, not an opinion of it. Every bird has a history, and not Jt combined history of species. You want some one to try the- fantail oueetion, but they can .only go the same length* as you, as such fhedry is withput evidence. If they have evidence, let them chalk it down. Birds are always by- far the brightest in the pairing season, and are also brightest, is song. The sun is one of,- the greatest forces of Nature, but .it doas not affect gayycoloured birds nor dull natural colours of any kind. There are some artificial colours it has a tendency to ■turn green; but every biftd has its colour, bright or dull. Feed will brighten them much — the yellow canary, for instance, to an orange chrome but not to an ultramarine blue. _ I went and saw some cayenne-fed canaries, and I thought they were very pretty, «o I started to fesd a pair with cayenne and

' hard-boiled eggs, but not long started when I left and went to sea, so I can't give you the results; but you get no results till they ! monlt unless they were reared by cayennefed parents. If the artificial feeding is left ; off they become much paler than before. If J have made a mistake I should like some of the canary breeders to check this, as I never breed the Norwick canary. The one I wrought with was the Scotch fancy canary, which are crossed greatly with the Belgian canary — this for size. Now, I said " crossed," but "Ornithologist" is tp take no notice of that. It is another variety. There are four or five of a. variety, and sometimes three of a variety in one nest. The Maltese, the Belgian, and the Madeira canaries are from 1000 to 1500 miles apart. When brought in contact they breed. They are all pure canaries and have one whistle, like our fantails, I wonder what can be the cause of J. Shore's chaffinch changing its whistle or call. ■ I hor>e it is no more new species. They have just the same whistle and call here as | they have at Home. They are very plentiful here. To speafc on the mammals question. There is no question you could make a mistake quicker in thaa in -one yoa know nothing , about. There are two lizards here. One has been shut up in a battle since May, the , other for a months; the latter on Saturday was standing erect. They are both in good order, aiad the only way you can notice., they rn.ro- Jiving is by a motion* in the- throat. There is a fine moth flying here (Declaca . egregia), of which five or six specimens have I been got. It has never been observed flyirg ! here before. Are there any about Dunedin? — J., Rhxu. Erewhon, September 28. Dear " Mzgister,"— Spring i 3 coming in fast, and even our tuseocky slopes and bare crumbling recks are showing signs of plant <and animal life. The shade temperature reached 65 to-day, and was a little higher on Saturday, while a stiff northerly wind blew. Spring flowers are cut in profusion in gardens and fields. Dandelions, daisies, speedwell, and other imported -weeds" are ; showing their flowers much sooner than the native kareb&lls. orciiids, and <?iher plants of the uncultivated land.. Kowhai is showing in profusion in the bueh a few miles away, and pear, plum, and apple are in i flower. Thrush and blackbird can bs heard J piping early 'and late, while the starling's , Jong-drawn whistle is going all day as they busy themselves in building. Unusual visi- ' tcrs here are the pretty little redpolls. The ! children brought a dead one in to me, and j I had to hunt through my- books before I I could nsftne it, aa it was -the first I had seen. I We have noticed a flock of several dnce, j aud, curiously enough, in my reading I have coxne across quite a number of references to the 1 pret-ty little fellows. In "Locusts «nd Wild Honey," one of Burroughs' s books, the bird is referred to several times. I suppose you know the book. It and the other books by the same author sTe well worth the attention of our out-of-door boys and. girls. Burroughs refers, too, to .the owl as an eater of small birds. I ~ don't know whether you will accept his evidence as applicable to New ■ Zealand, but some of my boys tre positive they have seen ciir lecal ov/l swooping «n to young sparrows fallen out of o> nest and carrying item off. — I am, etc., Tussock. SeptembsT 2SDear " Magisf er," — Every schcol boy in Dunedin would be the better for baing teught something of the flora of his native land. Dunedin is well off in some respects. The early .fathers set aside a stretch of land — the Town Bslt — as a breathing space for the city, and although most of the pines were cut out many years ago, there still remains a good and interesting collection of reprerenlative native pants. I Temenibsr, as a boy, asking the names of certain native plants. 'The pasrensia, a climber, particularly attracted aiy attention ; its white, waxy, fragrant flowers attract most visitors to the bush, bat no one I knew could help me. I hav c bad to do a deal of study before becoming acquainted with tha various native shrubs and trees. I think our boys, and girls too, should bs taught the names of oar commoner plants. Lately, I have been in, the bush around Mount Cargill, and thought that a note or two on one of Ihe commons* t of cur native shrubs — the coprosma — might prove useful. Those who aTe on the lookout for signs of flower life in cur bush will have noticed some of the coprosmas coininginto blcom. They are found in the bush and in the open, the latter being mostly twiggy, shrubby, and small-leaved. A common name for theee shrubby kinds is inika mik (a). Chessentan enumerates 39 coprosmas in New Zealand, and the catalogue of the Dunedin Field Club mentions 17 occurring round about the neighbourhood. A marked peculiarity of many New Zealand plants is shown dearly in.ihe coprosmas. the male and female flowers are in different trees. .Botanists call this dioecious, or two-housed. The essential features of t3ie coprosma family ' are : " Shrubs or small trees, leaves opposite stipules ketween the leaves (interpetiolai), calyx adna'te to ovary 4 to 5 lobad corolla funn-ed-sha'ped, 4 to 5 lobed stamens, 4-5 anthers hanging a long way out, styles hangi ir.g wsll cut (exsertcd). flowers dioecious, ovary tyro-celled, styles two. ovules solitary in <ach cell. Fruit a drupe (like a plum.") ilus sou-.ds very formidable, doesn't it? me po'ien of the anthers is very hght and cry, and the plants, being dioecious, one woii.d suppose they are wind fertilised. Ths -ftct that the anthers hang ed far out and the ".isnias likewise protrude points to thi<=. Jp'« ? S i V ?PS ?l the P ° Hcn gmns mi « !^ Ue.p to deterrmue this po.nt The coprosina, hi.hA V 6V 6 CUr * t= distant'y related to a bishop Among its relations are the aristo-cnus-the coffee plant and the quinine t^e in lact, coffee- has been made from the bsines of^coprosmss. and Lair.gar.dg ar.d Blsckwe!l s.ate t-ia: the coffee possessed a splendid aroma. I suppose the berries were rcasi"d first. The stiukwocd. although the possessor Of a vile smell, is a bsauiifui shiub and *o is Coprosma cuneala. found on Mount CargUl, and at present covered with berries of a bright red colour. It is a very leafy sh-ub and a spray standing on my table as" I writ© would make a good photograph, v. acerosa with bluish fruit, is also very pretty, but the leaves are tiny. It is called the needle-leaved coproema ; a prostrate variety is found on Lawyer's Head and similar pfsces. Perhaps readers have noticed small plants matun~ the ground .in the bush and covered with red berries. They are Nerteras, another family gelation, Taste them, and you will find a' great similarity to the coprosma. A common introduced weed — particulaaly so in Woodhaugh Gardens — is the goose grass G ilium Rperine» another family relation. 14 has . hooked bristles all over, and 13 called cleavers by home children, because it cleaves co well to the clothes. Stcdekt. "Waiiati. On September 19 I saw a swamp-hen. If is about the size of a small, common fowl. It has bluish-coloured feathers and a thick, red beak. It's legs are pretty long. On September 20 I caw ft thrush, carrying a piece

of dead grass. "When I came nearer it f dropped the grass aad flew away. I saw a weasel on September 22, but I coulc> not get a good lock at it, for it ran away down a culvert. On September 24 I saw a grey-and-white rabbit. It had a, white breast and legs. On September 26 I saw a bird wiji green feathers on the back, and its wings were the same colour as a sparrow's. I saw a bellbird the next day. It is a biid about the size of a thrush. On September 28 I saw a sparrow pick up gome straw and fly away t» the bush. On the 29th I saw a waseye. It is a pretty bird, with greenish-coloured 1 feathers and a white ring of feathers rcund ! its eyes. On September 3ff I saw a fantail. It is a pretty bird, with a tail like a fan spread out ? S. Captais. The Taieri Plain. j Maungafca, October 2. 1 Many theories br.ve been put forward as to the formation of the Taieii Plain. The 1 most probable is that it has been gcuged j out by glaciers when New Zealand was at a higher altitude. Some people have the idea ttstt it -was «beg a. large lalce, tlie_ only remainisg evidence of which is Lakes Waihoi* -and "Waipori. The lower pert of the plain must have subsided, causing a fal\ which allowed the water to run ofi the upper end and leave it fairly dry/ The water lodged •at the lower «r.d, and now forms the two lakes already mentioned.. The. first settlement in the Taieri Plain j ■was made by the old o?loxn9ts 'who arrived | by the Philip L&ing and John Wickiiffe in ! -184 S. "When these people came land was ' very cheap, and some of them bought thou--sands of acres, so a few -people had control , of most of the Taieri Plain. Since then, j however, the land has been cut' .up into • smaller Weeks, and it is now prettvthicklvsettled. ! Most of the Taieri Plain is in the bjsin j of the Taieri River, &o the river often over-" j flows its banks, leaving sediment, etc., behind I it, acd the land becomes very well adapted for farming. When the land is dry it grows great crops of wheat and oats, but very . often it is flooded, and" tbo crops areruined. _ | The Taieri Plain is a plea eon t place to live in. especially Maungatua. ,The plain was named by the Maoris. - Bruce. Maori Hill, October 1. Dear " Magister," — Ever co many thank 3 for your article on our -native birds in this' week's Witness; also for extracts 'from Dr Fulton's work. Dr Fulton is indeed, as ycu are, a splendid champion. If there be any way in which I may ever help to preserve I our birds I shall hold myself privileged, and shall be deeply grateful to whosoever opens' the way to me. I have done my little best for years pest, groping through difficulties ard lny own | ignorance in search of the best way. I have striven to bring tha birds nearer to me, j and failed almosrt continually. Last year a j bell-bird did nest in a handful of native j bush in cur paddock; his love song rang in rivalry with those of blackbirds, larks, and thrushes through the season. This year, alas! he has gone elsewhere; I never hear : him, save as he flits over the garden and away. In my desire to draw/ them to our garden I one year tried the device of tiny metal , cups, extinguisher shape, hung in' the trees j and half-filled with real honey, some with j EUg'ar and fruit syrup. And, a few days after the first hanging, bsheld every cup filled up , with en invested sparrow, his wicked tail j waggling ecstatically in the air while his j other half soaked itself in sticky sweetness \ bslow. When the little thieves carae right j end up again my cups were empty, their : coatents applied inside and out where epar- ! rows thought that honey would do the most j good.. They viewed me approvingly from adjacent trees. " What a noble appreciation 1 of the sparrow!" their self-satisfied expres- i slon plainly said, as ihey preened off tha sweetness from their feathers. And even my I pelting stones at them did not disabuse their ! minds of the belief that I had put up the honey for them, yet I was v.rath enough to kill them had my aim been as good (or as bad) as my intention. Fat, squabling young starlings hung their 1 heavy bodies on my flax cups and drank up j all the honey there. So far I still yearn I vainly for ball-birds and tuis to feed in my j own gardsn. Had I but wealth or a Persian wishing carpet I would surely capture — no, not capture, but captivate, these bird?. Can you tell me if the native fantails your article mentions are th« same that fly into one's rooms en frosty mornings, seeking beinimbsd flies? lam familiar with these httio visitors, who waft themselves in at open J windows and go through one's room like ] live shuttle-cocks, perching on curtain rods j and picture frames in friendliest fashion co 1 close that one can read their inquisitiveness j in their small, bright eyes. Their interest ! in me beat their uppttite for til-bit insects, for they would come back repeatedly, letting "that fly stick to the wa'," while they .explored me with sharp scrutiny and sang their fircny little equeakins aon^ as they , perched within two or three feet of my face. > One jolly little fantail used to spend considerable time with me, even on his busy days. He always listened patiently, too — sitting with feathers all a-fluff, and head cocked knowingly aside, to my cork-and-bottle solo, edging in with a corrective note or co and wearing an air of indulgent criticism that was truly laughable. He always perched on a ceiling rod just above my bed. and facing me. Some time ago I wrote to you about Treats. d'&ar " Magister." Then fell ill again, so that I missed seeing the papers, and do not know whether there was a reply to my queries ; and I did not like to bother ycu again, though I still have an active curiosity about the weta. I should like to one, but fully lealise the difficulty in the way , of that. I Hoping to read much more about cur native bird 3in your very interesting page, — { I am, jours. Thorpe Talbot

Mi-^ Joan Jardinc. Newbie, Annan (Scotland) celebrated 'her ceiit'3nary, her long a.gp being all the more remarkable by the fact that for the last 60 years eha has been confined to bed through an injury to her contracted while lifting an .invalid lady on whom f-he was in attendance. ■ She was r.e\cr on a railway train, and only once, when a girl does ehe remeniLor iCGing one. Rheumatism, gouf. lumbago, and sciatica are eautcd bj iu - ic acid in the bloa<?. 'll.e j j only po:^3ible method of cure is in taking • ' a remedy that will •eliminate the poison from the system, and any preparation that purports to cure in any other manner will ■ either fail altogether or merely give a i slight passing relicf — it cannot possibly be of any permanent value. RHEUMO is a preparation that unfailingly cures rheulnatbm and kindred ailments, because it unfailingly ejects the uric acid. It removes the cause, and in doing this it stills those agonising pains which make the life of a rheumatic subject a misery. RHEUMO is obtainable from all chemists 1 and etor«s at 2s 6d and 4* &d per bottler