HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17834, 30 April 1926, Page 8

HERE AND THERE.

AN EYE FOR EVERYTHING. TRAYS OF DIAMONDS. A jewel robbery in Paris on March 15 was followed by an exciting street chase, in which the robber, brandishing a revolver and a razor, was captured. Two assistants were in the shop in the Rue de Belleville, when a young man named Maisonnial entered, asking for some repairs to be done. In the lobby, formed by two windows, in which jewellery was displayed, he was joined by another man. He broke a window and dashed off with two trays of diamond rings. One tray he threw away as he ran. As his pursuers gained on him he drew a revolver. but at that moment a policeman knocked him down. WHEN LONDON WAS LUND. The origin of the name of London has puzzled many historians. Londinium is first mentioned by Tacitus, a Roman author, in A.D. 61. He says it is “ a place greatly celebrated for the number of its merchants and the abundance of its supplies.” There are many proofs in English and Swedish museums of the intimate intercourse between England and Scandinavia in early times, an intercourse that has probablv gone on uninterruptedly for about 6000 years. It may be conjectured that early Vikings from the south of Sweden ventured across the water and sailed up the mouth of the Thames and found a grove, which in Swedish is “lund,” on the banks of the river, where later on the Roman Londinium arose. The invaders called the place “Lund.” from the Scandinavian “ offen-lund.” or sacred grove (says a writer in “Notes and Queries”). The name was later corrupted into “ Lond

WILL ON AN EGG. An ordinary hen's egg on which a sailor had written his will -is giving much trouble, to the authorities at Somerset House, as well as to the firm of solicitors who are trying to prove the genuineness of this curious last testament. The egg has inscribed on its shell, in handwriting indicating that the testator was suffering considerably at the time he rfiade. the will, the following: “17th evervthing i possess. —.T. B. Ihe man who made the will died at sea a few months ago. Somerset House, it is announced, has declared the will invalid as it was not witnessed. PIGEON MUSIC. In China, native pigeon-fanchrs attach whistles to the tails of bi-ds so that when they fly the wind bowing through the whistles sets up what their owners regard as an open-air coicert. The whistles, tuned to various lotes, I according to that allotted to the flock for which they are intended, are nade of light bamboo tubes and are lacquered in yellow, brown, red and bhek. They are attached to the birds’ tails by thin copper wire, some of the. brds often carrying whistles consisting of half a dozen tubes, producing as maiy different notes. On a quiet day tie effect produced by a. flock of pigeois in full flight and thus equipped is oi* of the strangest imaginable. Ik Chinese pigeon-fancier likes nothin* better than to sit in his garden and listen to this queer aerial music.

NEW TELEPHONE PEST. London telephone subscribers are complaining of an objectionable campaign by traders who ring them up and attempt to obtain orders —usually for hairdressing or photographs. Hairdressers, some of whom use the names of reputable firms, are the most active. They ring up persons selected at random from the telephone book, and offer to “shingle” the wife’s or daughter’s hair at a specially reduced charge " for this week only.” The wife of a wellknown business man received an offer to photograph his two children again at a reduced rate. Calls are invariably made during the hours when the husbands arc at business. There appears to be no remedy against this undesirable form of pushing business except to replace the receiver and decline to entertain any conversation. This is the advice of the authorities, who state that the nuisance Js increasing. WILL EARS DISSAPPEAR?

Is the human ear. which is as ancient as man himself, about to disappear? Eminent scientists investigating the comparative bodily structure of man and the apes, and the present-day working of evolution, have made the astonishing discovery that the tendency ot the human ear is to become smaller and smaller. The tendency in the past was for the ear to continue to grow after birth, and increase in sire in proportion to the body Investigators now find, however, that, the tendency is to decrease in size in proportion to the body. A curious exception has nevertheless to be noted. This is the lobe of the ear, which remains, say the scientists, as a kindly provision of Nature. “to give woman something on which to hang orna*