COUNTRY NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 4127, 19 May 1876, Page 3

COUNTRY NOTES.

{From our Exchanges.)

A curious fossil, a perfect cast of a snail, similar to those at preseat found in Great Britain, deposited in a hard, brittle, clayey stone, has been presented to the Athenaeum Museum by Mr Brown, who found it on a road in the Toi Tois district. The clay stone is apparently of very recent geological formation.

In consequence of the difficulty of keeping down the number of the rabbits, any kind of decent dogs are in great demand. One stockrider told us a few days ago that he had sold L6O worth of dogs this year, «ud was thinking of going into dog breeding as a novel industry. The contractors for the plate-laying and ballasting on the Tuapeka branch line have been considerably delayed in the work through the Government not supplying the necessary timber to the contractor for the Woulshcd bridge. A large number of claims have been pegged out on a spur about half a mile from Mr Coombe’s claim at Manuka Creek. We hear that the prospectors have got some good gold, but they have been keeping matters very dark. before the end of the week the work of laying the rails through the Manuka ( reek tunnel will be commenced. The contract will probably be finished by the Ist of June. At the Hound Hill tunnel the work is progressing satisfactorily. The following is the corrected list of the team which will represent the Bruce Rifles in a match against the City Guards on the Queen’s birthday at the Anderson’s Bay range : - Capt. Pettit, Lieut. Scott, Sergt, Dickson, Privates Reid, Tough, Grant, M‘Latchie, Gordon, Clark, and Nutsford. The conditions of the match are :—2OO (Sin bull’s-eye), 500, and 600 yards, five shots at each range ; standing at 200 yards, and any position at the other ranges. Mr Richards was found drowned in the Lake at Bob’s Cove, on Sunday morning. The man had been a servant of one Gilmour, a miller near Arrow, and had taken his wages in sheep and land. Upon going to view his property, he found the land covered with water. This is supposed to have preyed upon his mind, inducing him to commit a most determined suicide. He was picked up in about 2ft of water with his hands desperately crossed upon his chest. The verdict was temporary insanity. In Southland, according to the ‘ Times,’ orders have been given to dismiss the men engaged in repairing the public road.