NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otaki Mail, 31 December 1919, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

rfrf • —♦ — An odourless onion is ono of China’s assets. . Salt used to bo the ordinary money of the Abyssinians. • Vanilla flavouring is obtained from the fruitof an orchid. Honeycomb, one square foot in size, contains 9000 cells. In Iceland whistling is forbidden as a breach of divine law. One thousand pigs'were, eaten, daily in London before the war. ■ The skin of the whale is iu places as much as two feet thick. Spain has fewer daily papers than any other European country. Milk consumed weekly in London amounts to over (10.000. gallons. Over 750 grains of corn were found in tho crop of a pigeon shot at Old Windsor. France lias fewer paupers and fewer millionaires than any other prominent country. Japanese coolies refine crude oil in their-homos, and peddle, kerosene from house to house. Diamond weighing scales are s-o accurately poised that an eyelash will, turn tho balance. “Y” is the name oT a bay in Zuyder. Zee, a liver running through Amsterdam, and a town in China. The people of India speak about 150 | different languages, and are divided into -13 distinct nationalities. For experiments with a model airplane, a Frenchman mounted the wings and tail of a crow on a wire frame. ( The earliest bicycle was introduced in Paris in ISOS, called a velocipede, or : popularly “a bonc-sliakcr.” Norwegian government experimenters have succeeded in producing a bread containing 20 per cent of iish. Time was once measured by burning candles, each one made so as to burn Cor exactly one or two-hour periods. In Liberia the sun rises exactly at 0 a.m. and sets at (> p.m., throughout the year, and is directly overhead at noon. It is calculated that the Isle of Sheppev lias been reduced by over 80 acres through the inroads of the sea during the last 40 years. Although Germany built 120 Zeppelins during tho war, never more than 15 or 16 were fit to take the air at one time. The Cleveland Street Kaihvays has just taken out the largest insurance policy ever written against ‘‘riot and civil commotion.” A method of using the electric magnet under water has been devised in Japan, and promises to be of great assistance iu locating sunken vessels. America claims that tho Stars and Stripes waves over 33.7 per cent of all tonnage afloat, while Great Britain comes second with 33.5 per cent. Advancing years arc the glory of Chinese, and it is said to be polite to suppose your Chinese guest to be much older than his or her stated age. Abyssinia is the original home of the coffee tree, and in the highlands of that country there are immense forests of it that have never been touched. The only important peace treaty ever negotiated by women was that known as the ‘‘Ladies’ Peace,” arranged by Louise of Savoy and Mar- , garct of Austria. i A London couple connected thoir two bicycles by iron cross pieces, carrying a long box, and thus transports the family of six, the small children in the box ‘ Ripe bananas are most easily digested of common foods. Bananas require one hour 45 minutes for digestion, most other foods between three and four hours. The largest cake over baked was made for Frederick William I. of Prussia. It was IS yards loug, 8 yards wide, and 1£ feet thick. Mdlle. Mistinguett, the ‘‘darling dancer” of the Paris halls, recently left for New York for a lengthy tour. It is considered that she has the most beautiful legs of any Paris dancer, and before starting she insisted on having them insured against accidental injury for £25,000. Mdlle. Mistinguett took! , with her 135 gowns and 95 different I samples of footwear.