DO YOU KNOW

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20786, 22 April 1939, Page 21 (Supplement)

DO YOU KNOW

Every morning in Hyde Park, Sydney an old man may be seen with 'a bigpaper bag tucked under his arm. He is Mr \V. 11. Farnborough, and he comes to see the sparrows. The little birds flock round their friend, for they know what is in the mvsterious paper bag. It is full of cot-ton-wool ! The old man throws it to the eager nest-builders, who fly home with material which will make their homes cosier than ever. It is nesting time in South Africa. While the president of the sailing club at Gatoomba was away on holiday he left Ilia yacht at her moorings. When he returned lie found that a wagtail had built a nest in a sail locker, ile did not disturb the nest, and a young -bird was hatched. Afterwards the yachtsman often went sailing. Each time the boat went out the mother bird stayed at the landing stage and waited for the return of the young wagtail. Wilf, a 20-vear-old pit pony, after 15 years working underground at Brancepeth Colliery, Willington, Durham, has now retired. During this period he had only one spell of daylight, and that was'during the strike of 1926. He lias now been taken to Stagsliaw to end his days peacefully at a haven or rest prepared on land belonging to Major lan Straker. The pony is one of nine placed on the retired list by the company recently. They have all had long terms of service, and range in age from 17 to 22. At rail l.alie Lily in the United Flaie.s there j s a lo the seagull in memory ~r a line service it mire did lo tile Stale of Utah. The Stale was invaded by a vast army f grasshoppers, which devoured every greet, ihing i„ its path, so that the farmers despaired of ravine anythin* from the ■■ crops. Disaster seemed imminrnl, but at the most critical tim.- mi imp.mis,, dork of seagulls Hew in from Hie ILu-ille, and settling on the area threatened with destruction, set busily to work to eat up the myriads of winged pests. i