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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1136, 3 October 1871, Page 2

The following paragraph has been " going the rounds " for some time past: —Facts relating to the present condi fcion of the inhabitants of Jerusalem must be of interest to the denizens of even this distant portion of \he globe. Mr Frankel, a missionary laboring there, reports that the Jews are gradually gathering in the Holy City "It is a remarkable fact," he says, " that while the whole of its population does not exceed 20,000, of that number 10,000 are Jews, and so great is the influen.ee of the Jews upon the Arab population that on a Saturday the pea Hants do not think it worth their trouble to bring their produce to market on account of it being the Jewish Sabbath." The Otago Daily Times says:— Ornithologists will be interested to learn that a new species of duck has made its appearance in the Province. One out of a flock of fourteen of the strange bird was shot recently at the Kaitangata la Ire, and we had an opportunity of inspecting the skin, which was forwarded to town. The bird was somewhat smaller than a brown teal. It iiies very high, and whistles in its flight like a widgeon. The plumage is generally a dove or yellowish fawn color, head included, with some while feathers near the tail. The breast, is golden brown, striped with black. The legs are strong, and' are longer than those of the common wild duck. The wings are long. and of an ashen brown color. The beak, which is about the size of a duck's, is black and white, with a horny tip like the widgeon The flight of the birds when together is rather heavy, and the flock flies in the shape of a wedge, like wild geese. Within the last few days, ten of the strangers were observed flying in the neighborhood of Inch Clutha, several miles from the place where they were first seen. The specimens obtained, when stuffed, will, we understand, be placed in the Provincial museum. In the meantime, we shall be glad (o learn from any of our readers, whether the description we have given answers to that of any species of the duck tribe known in the neighboring colonies. For £8,500,000 a railway, 850 miles long, can be constructed from Antioch through Asia Minor to the Euphrates, and India would then be brought within fourteen days of England. This project is being very seriously proposed.