Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 96, 4 December 1939, Page 4

Local and General

Rainfall for November. Reporting on the rainfall for the month of September in Whakatane, Mr H. Muscutt of Kopeopeo states that the total figure was 2.76 inches for 11 days. Last year the fall for the same month was 3.24in5. The total rain for the year to date is now 32.96 ins against the total for last year of 60.99in5. The driest November occurred in 1932 (.80ins) and the wettest in 1929 (5.94). The driest period over the first eleven months has occurred this year, Avhile the wettest Avas in 1929 when no less than 72.87 ins was recorded. Advice to Medical Students. "To understand human nature," says the Lancet, of the medical student, "he must go regularly to the pictures, study the development of Shirley Temple, and learn to recognise the 'Yee-a-ow' of Wendy Hiller when he hears it again from outpatients. He should listen to the variety on the wireless, and hear the full-throated roar that greets the quip which has missed the censor. Physiologists can teach him the theories of nutrition; housekeepers its practice. On Friday evening he should go shopping with hi?, hmOlady or her daughter.

Vessels Shelter. Last Tuesday evening the N.S.S. Co's Otimai, which had proceeded to the Paper Mills on Monday, returned to the Whakatane wharf. There she loaded 1612 boxes of butter, 137 crates of cheese, 180 benzine drums, in addition to the 57 tons o£ cardboard from the mills. The Otimai was due to leave on Wednesday morning but last week's storm caused her to shelter at the wharf and she did not get away until Friday at 8.30 a.m. Leaving port, the Otimai passed the Clansman, which had sheltered for twenty-four hours in the lee of Whale Island. Monster Eel Caught. While two young women were engaged in fishing from the Waioeka bridge one of them hooked a fish, which proved to be such a task to pull up that they called out for assistance. Mr Kururangi junr. who Avas near the spot went to the as--sistance of the girl and took over the line. When the eel was drawn to the surface it made such a commotion that the girls took fright and left the scene of battle. M(r Kururangi succeeded in landing the eel, which when weighed, turned the scales at 261bs. The eel was of great girth and was approximately sft. 3in. in length, the tail being 6inlong.

Edgecumbe Rainfall. The total rainfall for the month of November as recorded at Edgecumbe was 2.95 inches. For the year to date 39.Gins have ben measured, against 61. Gins for a similar period last The fall in November of 1938 was 3.85 inches. Consternation in Camp. In a military camp in New Zealand last week consternation was caused by one of the sentries discharging his rifle in the early hours of the morning, turning out the entire guard at the gallop, most of the officers and half the men. At an inquiry next day it was learned that the sentry was pacing out his beat regularly and correctly, but that a rabbit was sitting on a mound a short distance away enjoying the spectacle. The rabbit stayed there so long that it eventually got on the nerves of the sentry—a keen rabbit shooter in civilian life—and after about an hour he raised his rifle and shot the rabbit through the head. It is stated that the officers thoroughly appreciated situation and the sentry was fined the cost of the bullet, 6d. The Age of a Trout. Most people know that the age of a tree can be computed by counting the annular rings, a formula that has been accn->tud cud is iippliexl by forestry officers, sawmillers and others. But it is not so generally known that the age of fish can be similarly determined by reading the scales. Recently a very large brown trout was caught in Lake Arapuni by Mr C. Rawlinson, of Te Awamutu,, and the fortunate angler acceded to suggestions by a local member of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society to have the trout examined by the society's expert, Mr Hobbs. Accordingly it was sent along, and Mr Hobbs has reported: "Computed lengths in inches at the end of successive years of life are as folvws: 3.Gin, G.Gin, S.oin, 13.7 in 23.4 in and 26,2 in. If this interpretation is correct, the fish had just commenced its seventh year of life when captured, and the growth over the last three years is Clear spawning marks are shown in the last two winters." Mr Hobbs c o mments that the scales of old fish are commonly fairly difficult to read, and excessive reliance should not be placed on the reading. He adds that if the reading is correct this is the oldest brown trout still showing moderate growth which he has encountered. Gommonlj r „ when the brown trout reaches six years of age growth is so slight that little record of further growth shows on the scales.

Lose fat quickly with Bonkora. Safe, quick reducing treatment. Try Bonkora to.day. F. G. Macklow. Whakatane.