NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3891, 5 January 1929, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

During a recent annual traffic census at a .Surrey cross-roads itwas found that every form of transport, including pedal bicycles, had increased, except horse-drawn vehicles.

A wedding ring is worn on the third finger because it was anciently believed, though the opinion has been exploded by anatomists, that a small artery ran from this finger to the heart.

In the year ending last March the British National Debt was reduced by less than seven million pounds. It then stood at 7714 millions.

While fishing at the entrance to the Tauranga Harbour, Mr. Jack E. Coutts landed a large stingray on •a light schnapper line (says the Herald). It fought strenuously for 48 minutes -before it was killed in Shallow water. The spread of the flappers was 4ft. Gin. and the length fr-om |nose to tail \v‘as sft. Bin. The main sting was 10-in. long and the second 6Jin. 11 Was what is known among the Maoris as the, “weko. Some years ago a stingray of similar species was being pursued near Whareroa, when it struck a dog with its sting and the animal bled to death.

'That the wild pig menace is not yet removed may be judged from the fact that a party of four Eltham young mien, recently shot a number of pigs in the Moeroa district. Wild pigs are also still to be found (in considerable numbers within a short distance of Levin, and a party of trampers wild went to the top of Square Nob, ,a height of 3000 ft., lately, found evidence of these animals over a wide area above the Waieti Stream. Some Palmerston North sportsmen shot three pigs dn this vicinity recently. In viclw of the opinion expressed in South Africa that the 1928 All Blacks took matters too seriously the following extract from Maj:k Nicholls’ account of the tour is interesting: “W|hcn going to a match,” he writes, “our team always sang two of their favourite songs—‘Blue Ro'om’ und ‘The Mountains of Mo urne’ amongst others, which would include ‘Sarie Mare’ (the South African 1921 Springbok song in New Zealand), ‘Old McDonald Had 'a Farm,’ ‘Charmaine,’ ‘The Haka,’ and lhe New Zealand Boys are Happy,’ and others. Our choruses were certainly of a rousing nature.”