Porcupine Fish.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 March 1939, Page 6

Porcupine Fish.

A rare fish specimen in these waters was secured recently in his trawl by Mr F. Gracia, of Akaroa, and was for-, warded to the Canterbury Museum. The fish, known as the porcupine fish, is a tropical fish which feeds On coral and shellfish and is rarely found in New Zealand waters. It was 14 inches long and very large in circumference, giving the appearance of being blown up and is covered in spines.

Thirty-day Voyage Across Tasman.

Flying a tattered ensign of. the United States of America, a strange yawl slipped unexpectedly into Auckland Harbour last yesterday afternoon. She came from Sydney, and the voyage across the Tasman took 30 days. On board were two very hungry young men, of a Netherlander and the other Swedish by birth and a naturalised Australian for the last eight or nine days. They had been living on potatoes, friend onions and pancakes, made of flour and water. All other supplies were exhausted. Donations by Chinese.

The following Chinese residents made cash donations to cover the cost of fireworks used at the Beautifying Society-Y.M.C.A. carnival last Saturday: J. K. Louis & Co., £2 2s; C. H. Lung (Greytown), George Wong, N. Wong Nam, £1 Is each; H. On Hing, Joe Yee, £1 each; Yee Jing, Wong Doo, Wong Chung, Wang Sui, Wong Hing Yet, Yee Joe, Low Gow, Low Hoy, Sing Kong Sung, Tai Lee, L. Wong, Chun Hun, George Hing, Yee Shing, 10s each; Yee Bing (Greytown), L. Chung, 5s each; total, £l4 15s. Charitable Bequests.

Charitable bequests are made under the will of Mr Alfred Charles Hook, formerly a teacher in various schools in the Auckland province, who died in Auckland on February 28. The will provides for the payment of legacies to personal friends and the residue of the estate, estimated at £12,750, is to be divided into five equal parts and the income is to be paid to each, of the following institutions: —Auckland Methodist Children’s Home and Orphanage, Leslie Presbyterian Orphanage, Meadowbank, New Zealand Institute for the Blind, Manurewa Baptist Children’s Home, and the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society. Embargo on Stock. Though some members felt that there was little prospect of anything beingdone, the executive of the Southern Hawke's Bay Farmers’ Union passed a motion recommending that the present embargo on the importation of pedigree live stock to New Zealand should be lifted. The question of the embargo was raised when a letter was read from the National Farmers’ Union and Chamber of Agriculture of Scotland to the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, suggesting that the main reason for the restriction was the fear of foot-and-mouth disease, the contraction of which, it was claimed, was remote in view of the British regulations. It was also suggested that a- continuance of the embargo might lead to retaliatory measures against New Zealand produce. Moving the recommendation that the embargo be lifted, the provincicil president, Mr J. C. Bolton, said the New Zealand quarantine regulations were ineffective. Mr A. McLeod said pedigree stock was to some extent being imported indirectly and at a greater cost to breeders.

When taking an oath in a law coytt, the Chinese blow out a candle and say: “As this light is blown out, so may my soul be if I fail to speak the truth,”