INTERESTING ITEMS.

Otaki Mail, 14 June 1922, Page 4

INTERESTING ITEMS.

Drunkenness is no excuse tor crime in England. Au average acre of garden has been estimated to contain about 53,000 worms. The earth is a- cooling body, and is therefore, becoming very gradually smaller. During one period of seven years, over 8,000 earthquake shocks were recorded in Japian. The male of the honey-bee comes between the queen and the workers in size, and is stingless. News is distributed throughout the natives of Central Africa by means of drum-signals. Tire earliest form of “house” was probably a rough screen of branches ut trees woven together and erected to protect the fire. Restaurants, as we know them todav, were at various times called eat-ing-houses, cook-houses, coffee-houses, and dining-houses. In Great Britain, duke is the highest title of nobility. The first English duke was Edward, the Black Prince, created Duke of Cornwall in 1337. Although ducks, of which there are nearly 200 species, are the most numerous in northern regions, they are found all over the world. Cloud formations are stated to lie due to tlie presence' of dust in the air, the particles of dust acting as centres of condensation for the formation of raindrops. The first colours used by artists in the early history of the world were made from various coloured earths, bound together with honey or one of ihe gums. The sea-cow. or dugong, is a herbivorous water-animal found in the Red Sea and the East; from S to 12 feet in length, it resembles a small whale. Dumb-bells were first used, it is said, in the time of Queen Elizabeth, the earlier forms being sticks loaded with lead at the ends, these being bell-like in shape. Formerly- Church courts dealt with all kinds of offences committed by clergymen; nowadays, clerics are practically on the same footing as laymen so far as the law is concerned.