NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1927, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

-Marvellous are the means which Nature lias provided the various species lor the successful propagation of their kind. Perhaps the most remarkable instance among our New Zealand fauna is that of the toheroa (says the “Auckland Star ”). Most arc acquainted, in some way, with the delightful dishes produced from this shellfish, hut there much of our interest ends. To the more curious, however, the story of its life is the most remarkable tiling about it. With t lie approach of spring] and when the tides arc at the highest, the toheroa leaves its home on the 1 beach sands and makes iis way to high-water mark. Here the female deposits her spawn, which i.s fertilised by the male in the manner customary among fishes. At this time of the year the prevailing westerly winds are fairly forceful and blow, of course, towards the shore. The eggs, naturally very minute and light, are blown from the beach on to the land immediately above. Generally speaking, tbis bind is in the form of sand hills, and the eggs soon become wrapped ill a covering of fine sand. The warm sun quickly causes animation, and after three weeks’ time the eggs have hatched. A visitor to the Ninety Mile Beach during the month of September would immediately he struck by the presence of myriads of “ moths” flying from the sandhills on to the damp sands ol the heath. These “ moths ” are nothing more nor less than the young toheroas, which, awaiting a favourable opportunity, when the breeze i.s blowing seawards, spread their flimsy shells and. using them as wings, glide down from their temporary abode to a pels. - manent home on the ocean sands. Im- | mediately the little creatures reach the , heath their shells close and harden, and the young fish have to fond for themselves. At first they inhabit the sand in the region just below highwater mark, but proceed farther down the beach as they grow older and larger.

A visit ill inspection was recently lnjule to Ship Cove and Afotunrn Island by menibers of the Captain Cook Aleinnrial T'ommittee, of Nelson, so that they mil'llt see for themselves the disfieiireineiits suffered by the inonmnent erected there (states the “Marlborough Express”). Incisions on one of the tablets of the monument at Ship Cove had been made by a party from Palmerston North, but they were not very serious, and were removed with a chisel. Many people, however, had carved their names on the anchor surmounting the memorial, and the committee is of the opinion that it wilt have to he replaced by concrete. AVhat was considered to be the worst form of desecration was the marks of two builds which had struck the front tablet. The committee tontativolv discussed the idea ol addin

;l piece t:i the monument to give it a mure commanding and Hllim 1 1 f■ 1 1 njipciir;iiic-e ; mill the suggestion was also made* dial, the old gun presented liy the British Admiralty and now lying at the foot of. the monument should he mounted on J a carriage. The cairn on the top ot Motuarn Island marks the place where Captain Cook formally took possession j o! the Sound and the adjacent islands in the name of Ids Sovereign, and the members of the committee agreed ilia!: a pole should he erected which would he visible to ships passing between Wellington and I’ieton and to tie increasing number of tourists in the Sounds region. The various matters will he discussed at an early meeting of the commit tee. ,

Although there are people in Auckland who declare that they have seen snakes of variegated hues, the Dominion is singularh five from these reptiles (says the “Star”). On odd occasions a snake has keen landed in New Zealand with a fruit cargo from the islands or with timber shipments from Australia, tint apparently the climate makes it impossible for them to live in the open. When one goes to a Sunday school picnic it is possible to recline on a pile of bracken without first heating all the surrounding locality with a big stick. The fact that there are no snakes in the Auckland Zoo was commented upon by a visitor from India. He said that snakes were of special interest to children, who might in future years go to a snakeinfested country and find it essential to know the appearance and characteristics of venomous and mm-venonions snakes. “ 1 quite appreciate tin? anxiety that is felt should the reptiles get abroad in the country,” he observed ; “ but adequate precautions are possible to prevent their escape, exactly the same as in the ease of wilt! animals. There is a wonderful variety of snakes, many of them beautiful and some of them absolutely harmless. In fact, the non-venomous snakes would lie an advantage in Xew Zealand, as they would keep down the various types of vermin, frogs, insects, etc.

Is pinus insignis suitable as a building timber? This question was discussed at some length at a recent meeting of the Hastings Borough Council, the occasion of the - discussion being an application for permission to build a. motor shed of that material (states the “Tribune.’’) The Director of Forestry, in answer to the council’s inquiries, says that provided pinus insigni.s is thoroughly seasoned, and that it is not used in actual contact with the ground, it is quite satisfactory for all classes of buildings in urban areas.

Devonport fishermen reaped a harvest the other evening when little fish of the vollowtail and sprat variety were attracted in shoals to the ferry wharf by the bright electric illumination (says the “Auckland Star.’’) One practised hand hauled in 30!) fish in three hours, while the casting of lines by industrious hoys was attended hv similar success. A small line and hook, with a small portion of mussel attached, allowed to skim the water, performed the trick. The catches might have been larger had it not been for the fact that at intervals the ferries’ propellers churned the water to foam and frightened the fish away.

Readers of Sherlock Holmes stories will remember that the famous novelist detective used at times to enlist the services of a team of street arabs when lie required assistance in discovering the perpetrators of a crime. Evidently following on similar lines, a country constable has the enthusiastic support of his six children in his endeavour to keep the public-within t-lie law, and he is evidently paying particular attention to the motorist who does not observe the rules and regulations pertaining to motor traffic (says the “ Otago Daily Times ”). His efforts have evidently considerably irritated a resident in the locality concerned, and he lias written his complaint to the Otago Motor Club. As the letter was simply signed “ Observer.’’ the club wisely decided to I ignore the complaint. The letter read : I “ Not one hundred miles front here lives a nest of ‘Johns’—viz., an old one and six young ones—and between the seven of them a motorist is not safe if he or she is in a hurry and putting on a little extra speed, or has attached to the auto one of Inst year’s number plates. A ease in point came under notice the other day. In front of the local post-office stood a car bearing last year’s plates. One of the young ‘ Johns ’ (aged about seven years) spotted the plates and promptly

took a note of the number, and then off home for his life, and in a few minutes the old 1 John ’ came to light. I don’t know how the owner of the car got on. This note might make interesting reading to any motorists who have to pass this way A’