Local & General.

Star (Christchurch), 25 July 1893, Page 3

Local & General.

Earthquake. — Our correspondent at Amberley telephoned that a slight shock of earthquake was felt there at a quarter to eleven o'clock this morning. I Furniture Sale. — To-morrow Messrs Bowman and Son will hold an important sale of furniture in their rooms. Particulars appears in another column. ! Alleged Fubious Biding. — Action is to be taken against the horseman who, it is alleged, ran over the lad Ivea and broke his leg at New Brighton on Sunday last. Quadbillr Assembly.— lt is announced that the quadrille assembly dances formerly carried on in the Oddfellows' Hall, Montreal street, will be held in St Michael's schoolroom every Thursday evening. Lectube.— At the East belt schoolroom last evening, the Bey F. W. Isitt lectured to a large audience, the subject being "From Slave Hut to Senate." The lecture ; was most interesting throughout, and at the cloße a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the lecturer. The Nautilus.— The Spanish training ship Nautilus arrived from Wellington this morning. The Spanish colours were hoisted at the premises of Mr F. Arenas, Vice-Consul for Spain, in honour of the vessel's arrival. The members of the Beoeption Committee will leave Christchurch for Lyttelton by the 1.25 p.m. train tomorrow. New Bbighton Pieb, — Yesterday the . Catlin, Captain Hammond, arrived at the tramway bridge, New Brighton, with . 27,000 ft of timber for the New Brighton j Pier Company. The contractor for the pier, Mr G. Stumbles, also drove the first , pile of his contract for the extension. For j the last few weeks the men under him have been at work getting things in readiness. Now the work will be pushed j on rapidly. i Accidents.— A boy named Eeuben Light j was admitted to the Hospital this morn- • ing suffering from a broken leg. The boy : was playing football yesterday evening, : and while running with the ball, wsb ; collared, and fell with hia leg doubled , under him. — About a quarter to six this morning, a milk cart, the property of Mr Ciark, of Windsor, was very much damaged owing to the horse taking fright at a pile of earth on the New Brighton road. Ifc

was driven !-y two girls, who escaped unhurt. ! Supreme Court.— His Honor Mr Justice Denniston sat in Chambers this morning at 10.30 o'clock. In the case of the New Brighton Tramway Company v. Knight , and others (Mr Caygill), a motion for dis- " cavery was granted. Probate was granted [ of tho will of Elizabeth Qoodison (Mr j Cotterill), and a trustee appointed of the j estate of Elizabeth Swale (Mr Bruges). • His Honor afterwards sat in Bankruptcy j and granted the discharge of John Rodda j (Mr Cotterill), and of John Drcn (Mr Kippenberger). Richmond Guild. — Tho fortnightly j meeting of the Eichmond Guild was held jon Monday evening. The question, i " Should the Franchise be Extended to j Women ? " was discussed. Mr H. J. Smith I took the negative, and Mr W. Biordan the ! affirmative. A goodly number of members : and friends were present. A general discueI sion on the papers took place. At the j close a vote was taken, and the majority ! agreed that the franchise should be ex- | tended to women. A vote of thanks to the gentlemen who had given the papers j brought a most enjoyable evening to a | close, Lyttelton Po.ular Concert. — The i fourth of the Lyttelton popular concerts was held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Lyttelton, last evening. There was a very good attendance; Miss Boon scored a decided success in her two songs, " Bemember Me No More" and "Love's Golden Dream." MiBS E. Fuller's song was well received. Mr S. Eobinson pleased the audience with "Home, Boys, Home." The quintette party, under Mr Eiordan, gave a couple of selections in good style. Mr G. E. Collins sang "The Goodwin Sands," and received an encore, as did Mr Auty for his comic items. Mies Henderson played Paderewski's minuet nicely. Master Lanyon gave a violin solo, and Mr H. Oakey a concertina solo, for which he received a well-deserved encore. Miss O'Brien played the accompaniments in her usual painstaking style. The management has a " Fairy Operetta " in preparation for the next concert. Industbial Building Society.— The third appropriation of £300 was balloted for at a general meeting of members of No. 4 Industrial Building Society on Thursday evening, and was obtained by share No. 80. This is the seventh appropriation, representing £2100. The Volunteers. — The Associated Corps' Bange Committee invites the members of the companies interested to attend the annnal meeting next Thursday. The Committee will lay before the meeting a rough drafu of the form of this year's annual military concert. Benefit Concebt at Rangioba.— At the Institute Ball, Eangiora, on Friday evening, a benefit concert will be given by local amateurs aß6isted by the Misses Bell, Mr F. Woodhouse and other wellknown Christchurch performers, in aid of the family of the late Mr A. Aldersley. Deuidism. — The Mistletoe Lodge held a very pleasant "social" last night, when about two hundred members with their wives attended, and the District Grand Lodge officers and representatives from the Pioneer, Hope of St Albans, Ivy of Linwood and Perseverance Lodges were present. A very good programme of dancing was interspersed with songs by Bros Young, Hutton and Penfold. During an interval G.P. Bro Penfold made a .presentation of a framed P.A. diploma to Bro Sorten, and P.G.P. Bro Tulley made a presentation of a marble clock to Bro B. Johnston, who has resigned the office of Treasurer after fourteen years' service. Both presentations were suitably replied to. Miss Fergusson accompanied the songs, and played for the dance, Y.A. Bro Israelßon acting aB M.C. The -success that attended the "social" has decided the Committee to hold another in about four weeks' time. Tbe proceedings were brought to a close in the small hours after the singing of " Auld Lang Syne." Thb Bot-fly.— At the last meeting of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Mr Murphy, the Secretary, reported tbat he had received a reply from Miss Ormerod, the English entomologist, and also from Professor Eiley, the entomologist to the American Department of Agriculture, acknowledging the receipt of specimens of the horse bot-fly and its larvae that had been forwarded by him some months previously for identification. A difference of opinion with regard to the exact species of this fiy has existed in the Colony for some time, and the question has been raised whether it is the English variety (Gastrophilus equi) or that of America (Gastrophilus nasalis). Both re* plies concurred in the decision that the fly ia not the English one, bnt the nasalis, which is prevalent throughout Europe and America. Miss Ormerod entered very fully into the description of the larvae of this gastrophilus, which coincided precisely with that forwarded by Mr Murphy, and thus established its identity. Referring to the question of the destruction of the larvae by sparrows, Professor Eiley thought it very probable that the sparrow was an active agent in that direction, for the reason tliat in many districts in the United States where the fly was once very troublesome, it had almost disappeared since the advent of the sparrow. It was somewhat curious, though, that an examination of the stomachs of five hundred sparrows discovered no trace whatever of larva;. This, however, might be accounted for by the supposition that the birds were killed at a season when the larva) were not being voided by the horses. The larva, too, is of a pulpy nature, and, therefore, would not show in the stomachs of the birds as seeds of wheat or other granulous substances would.