NATURAL HISTORY.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 1600, 31 May 1924, Page 16 (Supplement)

NATURAL HISTORY.

QUESTiONS AND ANSWERS. What is Black Frost? Simply a frost in which there is no rime, or frozen dew, so that the ground and plants arc not covered with white. What is the Meaning of Charabanc? This word now used for motor waggoneltes is the French word for a waggonette, and means literally a car with seats or benches. What is a Watt-hour? The electrical energy derived from a power of one watt maintained for one hour. The wait is the unit of electrical power, and one horsepower is equal to 74G watts. Who were the Parents of Robin Hood. Tradition says Robin Hood was a dispossessed Earl of Huntingdon, but he prc-bably never lived at all, and was merely the creation of popular imagination. What is Tar Made of? Tar is a highly complex mixture obtained by distillation from coal and wood. It contains benzine, toluene, phenol, crcsol, . naplhalene, and many other substances. Have all the Stars Skies of their Own? The sky is a general term for the vault of heaven, that is, the space above us, and if we can imagine living beings on any star, naturally the space which is above us, is their j sky. How were the Years Counted before Jesus was Born? Different people reckoned in different ways. The Jews, for instance, reckoned from the supposed dale of the creation of the world, and Ihe Romans from the founding of Rome. Do Bluetits Stay in England all the Year Round? Yes; plenty of them may be seen throughout the winter, and food placed on the window-sill will attract them to the window, where their interesting antics may be watched from. inside the room. What is the Privy Council? A body of advisers chosen by the sovereign. The duties of advising the sovereign are now however, chief- ; ly performed by the Cabinet, and membership of the Privy Council is mostly a personal dignity conferred as a reward for good service.