(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)

Observer, Volume 3, Issue 57, 15 October 1881, Page 76

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)

Napiee, Thursday. The start for the Spring Handicap on Tuesday was the worst ever scon here. Grand Duchess and Badsworth lost at least 300 yards. At the meeting to-day Pakawhai was a great failure. The Eacing Club Handicap proved a walk over for Badsworth. Only two came to the post — Foul Play and Badsworth. McDonald declared to win with Badsworth, and when the flag dropped Foul Play pulled up and walked into the paddock. There were two totalisators on the course — one in the paddock and one outside. In the Eacing Chib Handicap the totalisator outside had eight chances on Foul Play and thirty itwo on Badsworth. Dan Page, the sporting publican from Gisborne, made a big mistake to-day. A horse he owned, named Merlin, was starting for the Hawke's Bay Stakes. He, however, took hold of Prim's head by mistake, and led him about till the start, much to the amusement of his friends. The totalisators both belong to Cohen and Stock local people. Loch Lomond looked a different lior.se to-day. The gallop yesterday did him. good. He ought to have won yesterday.

— The Allan Liner, Parisian, recently did the run between Quebec and Liverpool in 7 days 18 hours. This is the fastest passage on record between Canada and the mother country, but the distance between Jfew York and Queenstown has been done even in a shorter time. — It is an honour in these days to be able to chronicle a mighty stride in science, namely ; the taming of an oyster. Dr H. of this city, who has been experimenting for years on the subject, and who has generally, in a fit of impatience, been forced to eat his subject, lias recently subjugated an oyster so thoroughly that it will follow him round the house and kiss him good-dy when he goes down town. The oyster in question is a young female, about three seasons old, a blonde bivalve strongly attached to her home. The Dr feeds her on bread crumbs, salt water, porterhouse steak and fried onions, and she has thriven under his care. She cannot sing yet, although so fond of music that one night, when the Dr was singing. " The Blue Alsatian Mountians " she got right out of her bed and fell down stairs, in her anxiety to here the song. She is, however, a little delicate about going into society, on account of her having aboard.