South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1892.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6751, 4 February 1892, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1892.

The recent bye-elections in Ireland have been distinguished by an exhibition of Donnybrook practices that had been conspicuous by their absence for some time previously. The Freeman's Journal says : “ It is now almost impossible to address a meeting in Ireland without an attempt being made by hired corner boys to bludgeon and intimidate the members of Parliament who attend.” There are many ways of looking at this fact. One way is to consider it a practical protest by a constituency against the interference of outsiders, in the operation of making choice of a representative. There is no slight degree of impertinence in the member for Billton putting his oar in at an election for Willton, by telling the Willtonites how to vote. ( It is one way of saying that they have not I sense enough to make a choice ; that they | have uot made up their minds as to the

kind of representative they require; and therefore ought to be thankful for advice on the subject. Electors of Willtown are justified in resenting the interposition of the member for Billion - though not to the extent of cudgelling him. Wo made a similar remark in reference to the late Wellington election, believing that the electors of any district should choose their representative themselvei, not have him chosen for them.

We have observed that the beach to the south of the breakwater,—and probably it is so elsewhere—is strewn with numbers of curious little creatures, consisting of a tough semi-transparent, colourless “ bladder,” of a long oval shape, to which is attached a mass of dark blue ragged substance. These are Physalia, of the family of the sea-nettles, so called from their property of stinging. This stinging power resides chiefly in the longer of the blue filaments, some of which may be ex. tended to the length of many feet. A sting from a vigorous specimen is no joke, as it may not only cause irritation of the pact slung, but also set up a general feverish disturbance. Children should be warned against handling those on the beach, as they might pick up one just lauded, and lively enongh to do them injury. Bathers should keep a look out for them also in the water. The Physalia are known to sailors as “ Portugese man-of-war.” Their natural habitat is warm seas, and it would be interesting to know whether a warm current from somewhere north has brought these stray ones hither.