Local & General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 14, 1 November 1948, Page 4

Local & General

Eclipse of Sun A total eclipse of the sun occurs today. Partial phases. of it will be seen over a wide area, which includes Southern Arabia,- Africa, Southern Ceylon and most of Australia. In. New Zealand it may be observed in most districts except Gisborne.

18-Year-Olds To Vote? . There is a persistent rumour in Parliamentary lobbies that the Government intends giving the vote to 18-year-olds. This could, perhaps, be done in a small clause in one of the washing-up Bills. So far, there is nothing to confirm this rumour, but its very persistence warrants some attention. Freak Brown Trout A double-headed brown trout, about two months’ old and an inch long, has been sent to Dr. L. R. Richardson, professor of zoology at Victoria University College. It came from the Masterton hatchery. From its appearance the professor , thinks it hak two hearts. One double-head-ed trout occurs in every 50,000 hatched, he says, so that it is not really very uncommon. Once a double-headed trout was kept alive until it was three inches long,, but they do not survive in wild conditions. Annual Funerals “Many persons think that an igloo is a snow house,* in which Eskimos live,”' said Mr H. J. Crichfield speaking at the Christchurch Travel Club recently. “Igloo means a house, Which may be made of wood, sods, or snow,” he said. “Very few Eskimos live in snow houses, which are mainly used by hunting parties in pursuit of seals, bears of foxes.” An unusual custom in Alaska he said, was the annual funeral. Dur- ; ing most of the year, the ground was so heavily frozen that it was impossible to dig graves, so the bodies of the dead were laid aside until late in July each year,/ when it was possible to dig a grave.