HAPPENINGS IN THE CAPITAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1761, 30 May 1906, Page 3

HAPPENINGS IN THE CAPITAL.

THE IRISH ELK.

(I>Y PUSELOI’K.)

Wellington. A most interesting pair of horns has I boon recently rocoivod by Mr Croagh O’Connor, who bought thorn whilo in Ireland. They are tho antlers of the Irish elk, a famous fvssil and extinct I species of door, found in tho Pleistocene deposits in Great Britain but chieily in Ireland. Thero is a magnifiI cent example of the whole skeleton in I j tho Christchurch Museum. The horns belonging to Mr O’Connor are enormous and extremely hoavy ; they are to be set up in the line billiardroom of Mr O’Connor’s house, where many other antlers, of deer, wapiti, I and antelope already lxaDg on the walls. Mr Creagh O’Connor has an extremely tine collection of beetles and butterflies, to which he is constantly adding. Mr Percy Buffer, who went Home recently, was also an enthusiast I in that line. While in Japan with his fathor Mr Creagh O’Connor used to get the small boys to catch beatles and butterflies for him, to the mutual i satisfaction of employooand employer, i

ABOUT PEOPLE.

A most interesting man, Mr Robert Bruce, of Rangitikei, is at present in Wellington. He is a born raconteur, and has a porfect mine of experiences —weird, grotesque, pathetic —to work in for his tales. He has been in all parts of tho world, and went as a sailor simply to see the various spots of the earth he yearned to look at. He came down principally for the meeting of the Acclimat : sation Society, of which he is an important member. Talking of that mysterious creature, the frost-fish, he said he thought he had discovered the reason of its being cast on shore. In a little book written by Frank Buckland that great naturalist states that in intensely cold weather the deep-sea eels come to the surface and dart wildly about in all directions, the cold affecting their airbladders. Something of the same kind may happen, Mr Bruce thinks, to the frost fish, which only is driven ashore, as its name denotes, in very cold weather.

Mr Gibb, the artist, is at present in Wellington sketching, and is staying with Mrs Stott. Dr and Mrs Findlay have returned from Dunedin, where Dr Findlay wa3 appearing for the Crown in tbe Meikle inquiry. _ Miss May Seddon, who went with the Premier and Mrs Seddon, is staying in Sydney, with Miss Bonsor, Mr Owen Cox’s niece, at Mr Cox’s house, “Avoca.’' Mrs Jack Rose, of the Hutt, left for Sydney last Saturday, and her guest, Miss Can, from Scotland, leaves for Home shortly. Mr and Mrs John Duncan have gone to Sydney for the winter. Miss Mules, from Nelson, ia staying with Mis Henry Blundell. The two Miss Gibsons, from Martin, who have been guests of Mrs Malcolm Ross, returned home last week. Mrs Duthie, from Auckland, is staying with Miss Coates on her way back from Sydney. Word has been received by the mail from various people in ’Frisco over whose fortunes there was milch anxiety. The letters were delivered on a Saturday evening over the counter to- so great a crowd that it stretched across to the (Queen’s statue from the post office door, and some had to wait their turn tiff Sunday morning before they got their letters. Even then their anxiety would not let them wait till they got home, and groups were to be seen under lamps eagerly scanning their mail. Mr J. E. Fulton was unfortunate enough to be in ’Frisco, and in tho Palace Hotel, the first to faff, but he escaped safely. Mr 3 and Miss Fulton had gone on, and were at Los Angelos when the news came Fortunately Mr Fulton was just able to send a reassuring wire before the telegraph was shut down, so they only had one day’s anxiety. Mr and Mrs Harry Good, from Hawera, have returned from their honeymoon trip;