NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 49

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Qnestioos for reply in coming iasu» to bt n•tired not later than MONDAY night. Te Tua.— The sample of apposed antimony ore tent by you for identification and examination was submitted to Professor Park, who reported that it is a fragment of hard carbonaceous material apparently broken. . from a fossilised tre-. trunk, - the black colour of -which- is due to the carbon •that is present. It bas no commercial ■value, and cannot by itself be- regarded as•n indication of the presence oi coal, al•though it should be . noted that fossilised ire©' trunis are not uncommon ir the clays and shales associated with . cca.l measures. "Wyndhah, — The sample of mineral sent for identification, was forwarded to Professor ' Park,- who report that -it- is apportion of a quartz pebble. The mineral with a yellow lustre and shining surface is mica, which has often been mistaJcen for gold, and hence has received the diggers' name, " N«w chum gold." The sample of quartz contains no metal of value, and the mineral mica has no . economic importance except it can be* found in large plates. Paterino. — A morganatic marriage, sometimes called «• left-handed marriage, is a lower sort of matrimonial union which as a civil 'ceremony is completely binding, but fails to confer on tbs wife the title or fortune of her husband, or on the children the full status of legitimacy or right of Buccession. In Germany it came in very early times to be accepted as a principle that equality of birth between husband and wife was essential to a proper marriage. The rule now conoarns only reigning houses and the higher nobility, but members of German princely houses entering into marriages with inferiors in rank contract only morganatic marriages. For inbtance, in 1851 the marriage of Prince Alexander of Hesse to the Countess Julie ron Hawke, from which sprang the Battenberg family, was a morganatic one. The Royal Marriaga Act. 12 Geo. 111. chap. 11, reduces to a position somewhat like that oi morganatic unions everj marriage irt the royal -fatnily of Great Britain not previously apiprpv«<l by ihe soVerejgn, providing the prince entering into it is under 25 years, and every such marriage of a prince above -25 years is disapproved. Thus peerages and most biography books make no mention of the Duke of Cambridge's marri»qe with Miss ,Fe*therstone. an actress. Sbe did not. become the Duchesß of Cambridge but -took the name of Fitzgeorge. and their children baar that name. One son is Ifear-Adtniral Sir Adolphus Ausrustus Frederick Fitzgeorge, and another Colonel Sir Augustus Charles Frederick Fitzgeorge. Bubschiber asks:— "ln a public body of seven members four are appointed a works committee, including the chairman. Two out of the four take it on themselves to do ■work not authorised, consequently a vote of censure is moved and seconded. Is the chairman in order in allowing the two members complained of to vote? The chairman cannot prevent membars from voting. ' As Parliamentary practice is generally followed, the two members have ample precedent. When a motion of want of confidence is proposed, no member of a. Ministry ever hesitates about voting and working against the motion. Starlight would like to know which station in Australia has the largest woolshed. the number of sheep it holds, and the number of shearers which the boards can accommodate. Can any of our readers supply the information asked for? Subscriber. Moonlight, asks the cause of and the cure for pimples and open pores. Pimples may arise from many causes. being extremely common in young people. They may arise from a disordered state of the digestive organs. Probably you aresuffering from acne pimplc3. The origin of this disease is in the minute cavities of the cuticle, which secrete the oily matter which lubricates and protects tlie surface of the skin. These are difficult to eradicate owing to the very small opening in ••ach and the thick matter within. Tho best' treatment is an occasional doe of sulphur, about a drachm every third morning for a few times, followed by a dose of Epsom salts. Bathe the face in hot -water every night before retiring, and rub in . some face cream such as Lanoline. WoODJMfcSB ft»ks 01 Jww to" exterminate

fleas from a dwelling, and (2) the length of life of Pinus muricata? Although many specifics have been promulgated for the extermination of this pest, when once it has made itsalf felt it is difficult to successfully exterminate it. Absolute cleanliness is the first word to be spoken on the subject, but when they prevail, in spite of cleanliness, recourse must be taken to some insecticide preparation. In addition to this cold and light perfume, such as camphor, frequently diminish them. (2) Centuries probably. | Bewildered asks (1) where does the moon obtain her light from, (2) is physiognomy a true science, (3) the cost of a Dreadnought? (1) The mcoD does not shine by native light, but merely reflects the solar rays. The illuminated or convex edge of its figure is always turned towards the sun. When right opposite the sun it appears as full, and is sometimes so situated as to be partially obscured by the earth's sh&dow, the earth intercepting the solar light by which alone it shines. When it is near the sun in the sky it appears as a thin crescent, turning almost entirely its dark side to the earth. Observation will soon show that these changes result from the constant illumination of one side of the moon, and constant darkness of the other, the crescent being larger or smaller as from the moon's change of position we see more or less of the bright side. (2) The art of physiognomy is founded on the belief which has long and generally prevailed that there is ari intimate connection betwesn the features and expression of the face and qualities and habits of the mind, and everyone instinctively draws conclusions in this way for himself with more or 'ess confidence, and acts upon them to a, certain extent in the affairs of life. But attempts to Teach this conclusion by the application of certain rules, and thus 'raiee the art of reading the human countenance to the dignity of a science, although often made, have ■•lever yet been very successful. (3) The total cost of building, a Dreadnought is £1,950,000. The coat of the elect: ical fittingfc, including 13 searchlights, amounts to £50,000. The 12in quick-firing guns, with an effective range of over 12 miles, carried *by battleships of the Dreadnought type ocst £10,000 each, and each shot £80. R. R. asks how to preserve green peas. Gather tho peas on a dry day; they should be full grown, but not old. Take some perfectly dry, wide-necked bottles, put in ' the peas, shaking the bottk'S so that they • arc as tightly packed a? possible. When they are full, cork, then cover them with a piece of bladder. Put them in a large pan of fold water, packing them well round with hay, and put some hay under them. Bring the water to the boil, and let it boil for two hours. Leave the boitles in the water until It is quite cold, then cover the cark3 witb melted resin and E'tcce them in a cool dry place. Or, after filling the bottles, bury the bottles deep down in a dry part of the garden. j 1