WAIFS AND STRAYS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 195, 22 December 1876, Page 15

WAIFS AND STRAYS.

Dudley was one of the most absent men I think I ever met in society. One day he met me in the street and invited me to meet myself. ' Dine with me to-day j dine with me., and I willget Sydney Smith to meet you.' Another time on meeting me he turned back, put his arm through mine, muttering, ' I don't mind walking with him a little way, j I'll walk with him as far as the end of the street.' As we proceeded together W passed. 'That is the villain/ exclaimed he, 'who helped me to asparagus and gave me no toast.' He very nearly upset my gravity once in the pulpit. He was apparently very attentive, when suddenly he took up his stick, as if he had been in the House of Commons, and clapped on the ground in approbation of what he had just heard." — Sydney Smith. Some animals are held in universal dread by others, and not the least terrible is the effect produced by the rattlesnake. This snake will frequently be at the bottom of a tree, on which a squirrel is seated. He fixes his eyes on the animal, and from that moment it cannot escape ; it begins a doleful outcry, which is so well known that a passer-by, on hearing it immediately knows that a Bnake is present. The squirrel runs up the tree a little way comes down again, then goes up, and afterwards comes still lower. The snake continues at the bottom of the tree, with his eyes fixed on the squirrel, and his attention is so entirely taken up that a person accidentally approaching may make considerable noise without so much as the Bnake's turning about. The squirrel comes low, and at last leaps down to the snake, whose mouth is already distended for its reception. Le Vaillant confirms this fascinating terror by a scene he witnessed. He saw onthe branch of a tree a species of shrike, trembling as if in convulsions, and at the distance of nearly four feet, on another branch, a large species of snake, lying with outstretched neck and fiery eyes, gazing steadily at the poor animal. The agony of the bird was so great that it was deprived of the power of moving away — and whenone of the party killed the snake the bird was found dead upon the spot — and that entirely from fear — for on examination ifc appears not to have received the slightest wound. The same traveller adds, that a short time afterwards he observed a small mouse in similar agonizing convulsions, about two yards from a snake, the eyes of which were intently fixed upon it; and on frightening away the reptile, and taking up the mouse it expired in his hand. *

Histobioai. ! Tide " Jurors Eeports and Awards, Mew Zealan Exhibition." Jurors : J. A. Ewen, J. Butterworth, T. 0. Skinner " So far as the Oolony is concerned, the dyeing of materials is almost entirely confined to the re-dyeing of Articles of Dress and Upholstery, a most useful art, for there are many kinds of material that lose their colour before the texture is half worn. G. Hibsch, of Dunedin (Dtobdht Dxb Works, George street, opposite Eoyal George Hotel) exhibits a case of specimens of Dyed Wools, Silks, and Feathers, and dyed Sheepskins. The colors on the whole are very fair, and reflect considerable credit on the Exhibitor, to whom the Jurors recommended an Honorary Certificate should be awarded." Honorary Certificate, 629 : Gustav Hirsch Dunedin, for specimens of Dyeiue in Silk Feathers, &c. c "Duke op Edinbxtb&h."— The old wooden structure that did duty as the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, in Russell-street for so many years, has, we are pleased to observe, given place to a new brick building, erected at considerable cost, in order to meet the rapidly increasing requirements of this popular and important part of the city The present proprietor, Mr D. Habbis, has spared no reasonable expense in furnishing and fitting the building with every modern comfort and convenience. The situation is extremely healthy, and commands splendid views of the ocean and harbour, and is within easy reach of the business port of the city. Persons in pursuit of a respectable and