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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 84, 11 April 1877, Page 4

Amebican Meat in Litebpool.—t Tha American meat trade in Liverpool is undergoing a curious [phase at the present moment. For some days past there has heen something like a failure in the supply, owing either to the nonarrival of steamers from America or to the despatch to other towns of what meat has been landed. . Simultaneously with this the publio demand for jthe meat continues to increase every day, and the consequence is that inferior meat Of home production has been sold in its plaoe. That this is the fact is stated on undeniable authority. Last week; some of the persons who profess to sell American meat only were actively engaged. for several days jn buy up ail the beef and mutton which lhe previous plethora of American meat had left upon the Liverpool market, and this has been sold to the public as American. As thia meat is of inferior quality, those who buy it will not unnaturally form a prejudice against American meat which is not at all justified, for there is no doubt at all that the bona fide imported beef is excellent in quality, although, the .mutton is poor. The remedy, however, will soon be found when the importation is extended. Tha butchers of the town generally have lowered their prices, and expect to make a larger reduction when the graziers, who really rule the market^ give way. ;

Sir John Lubbock on the Habits of Ants.-— Lecturing on ants at the Royal Institution, Sir John Lubbock said that frpm experiments made he |did not find tbat display bf intelligence and affection which some , naturalists have j declared induce ante, when any of their I companions are accidenteilly buried,; to ! burrow down and rescue them. They ! do seem capable of discriminating (between, companions and strangers, ifor when a number of each were intoxicated and placed hear a nest, and sober ants, after b^ing very pmch puzzled at -the unaecoiantable •, condition Y of tbe inebriates, carefully carried into Ithe nest their helpless friends and pitched the strangers into a dish of water. When, however, some friends and strangers were chloroformed to death and laid near a nest, the ants seemed to fippreciate that the diseased were past remedy, and therefore pitched both friends and strangers indiscriminaiely over the edge of tbe table. Attempting to verify the truth of HuW's declaration tbat when ants hud been separated for lour months ami then returned to their nest tbey were recognised aod ciressed.by their conpanione, : Sir John found- that though there was- no sign of recognition when a separateil friend waa returned to the nest, he was never attacked; while a stranger being put in was alwaya driven out or killed. As regards the senses of ants, thoiigh Sir John believes they hear, yet T they take no. notice of any sound he could make, and though they undoubtedly see they certainly cannot have very keen sight. Hie experiments do not confirm the suggestion that ants are able! to comthunicate to their companions where food bas been discovered, (for when single anta bad been placed j on food, and, going back with some tojtbe nest, were returning with companions ,to the store, in every case ; when these pioneer ants were captured their companions wandered about helpless, and failed to find their way to- the spot. Another Expedition to the Abctio Kegions— Commander Cheyne, 8.N., lecturing in Linlithgow on -the recent Arctic expedition, said he had great hopes at some future time to ;tell them of the actual discovery of the North Pole; and how it was accomplished—at all events, he would leave nothing undone which he could do to bring about that result. They were aware that he was endeavoring by private enterprise to fit out an expedition by nest spring. A Committee had already been organised in London and Bristol with this object in view. He was still quite sure that there was an , open way to the Pole by way. of Baffin's Bay, Wellington Claaneli and onwards iv a north-west by north direction — which be traced on the map — by means of which he would, get into tbe current which swept across the Pole; and even were this impracticable he would su"-

gesfc that balloons be had resourse to, and he would volunteer to load ithe balloon party. If success were possible be was determined to succeed.

The Lyell district is happy or -unhappy aa the case may be, in the possession of a resident who is known to local fame under the name of " Paddy, the Ram." It appears that on a recent occasion a lady hostess at the Lyell required some poultry— good laying hens, and the news reaohed Paddy, who does a little in " chicken rearing." He found, however, on application that the number of young pullets required was rather beyond his resources, -but Paddy set his wits to work, with what result the sequel will show. Paddy took the order and in due time he arrive J atj the Lyell with a SMk full of very fine looking young pullets. It }waa remarked at the time that a large number of the bird's heads had a f peculiarly clean-cut appearance, but £his was accounted for by Paddy as! an indication of their "high breeding." The lady was well pleased with jthe bargain, and tbe money was paid right down into Paddy's eager hind, when he at once cleared out. It seems that he cut off the combs and gills of a number of roosters and passed thec_j off as; pullets. Returned to his home, Paddy waa asked how he gotj on at the market, when he eaid, " Begqrra, I was afeered thim lads of roosters would start crowing afore I got the money."— Westport Times.