Bower – Birds.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8053, 22 February 1906, Page 4

Bower - Birds.

There are five different bower-birds—three in Australia, the liegent, the Satin, and the Spotted ; one in the Papuan Island, the cat bird; and one in New Guinea. Their brilliant plumage is golden yellow, glossy black, or spotted brown, often with a rose-tinted collar. Their bowers are in no sense nests, but miniature gardens, adapted for enjoyment and courtship, and set in the eye of the sun. A pavement of equal-sized peb61m is arranged, and numberless twigs are thrust firmly between them in two parallel rows, inclined to eaoh other, inclosing an avenue about a yard long and several inches wide. To decorate this arbour, gay feathers, ruddy berries, pearly shells, bleached bones, even watches, knives, and other glittering objects, are tastefully placed in and around the entrance. The New Guinea bird, still more of a gardener, constructs a miniature conical summer-house, with internal gallery; before this is a meadow of moss, kept free from gnus, dust, and leaves, on which bright flowers and fruit are daily offered by the tnamonred male bird to his mate,

" Grog," the sea term for rum-and-water derived its name from Admiral Edward Vernon fcho wore grogram breeches, and hence was'called " Old Grog." About the year 1745 he ordered his sailors to dilute their ru>» with water. • » s The Russian Government has nnder consideration a plan for a deep canal between the Baltic and the Black Sea, which will utilise the channels of the great rivers Dwina and Dneiper for the greater part of the distance between the two seas. • • » "" 1 The only place in the world where violinmaking may be said to constitute the staple industry, is Markneukirchen in Saxony, with its numerous surrounding villages. There are altogether about IS,OOO people in thit district engaged exclusively in the manufacture of violins. The inhabitants, from the small boy and girl to the wrinkled, greyheaded veteran and the aged grandmother are employed throughout the year in making some part or other of this instrument. • • • A bird which is met with on the Deserts of South Africa builds a watch tower. The nest is constructed of cotton, and is a large bel-lows-shaped structure. Its most remarkable feature is the watch-tower that the male bird erects nnder the eave of the entrance to tho nest, which projects and protects the tower. The male never enters the interior, but sits in his tower, and in case of danger gives a signal, when the female immediately escapes. The bird, called the " tutobane," is smaller than the wren, but larger than the humming bird. It is coloured grey, with yellow breast and red legs. The nest is about seven inches by live inches.

Explosive bullets were first used in India lor hunting timers and elephants. They were brought into use in Europe by their introduction into the llussian Army in 1803. In 18fi8 the International Convention declared their employment in war inhuman and unnecessary. They were, however, used subsequently, the most noteworthy example being the "dum-dum"—a flat-nosed bullet, which was used in the Soudan and Chitral campaigns—and this bullet was among the first supplied to our troops in the Transvaal. After the " dum-dum " had been condemned by the Hague Conference, no more were used by the British Army. • * • One often sees in old houses in England certain windows which have been bricked up and rendered useless for their original purpose ; and on inquiring the why and wherefore of such a proceeding we hear that it was "on account of the window tax." Few people know how this tax first originated. Two hundred years ago it was decided t« substitute mill-edged coins for those formerly in use, as spurious imitations were very common owing to their being so easily cut out of ordinary metal strips. As taxation was then very general, some ingenious mind hit on the idea of a tax on windows to meet the expense of the new currency—hence the window tax. « * • The Dutch language does not seem now at a very high premium in the opinion of the heads of families in South Africa. A petition was recently presented to the board of management of the Kimberley High Schools in favour of the teaching of Dutch to the scholars attending these schools. In order to ascertain the views of those most concerned, the board sent out a circular to 444 parents, requesting those who were desirious of Dutoh ueing taught during school hours as part of the ordinary ourriculum to write to the board stating their wish. Only twenty, however, were anxious that Dutch should be so treated and these twenty parents represented only thirty-six children out ol a total of 775 attending the high schools.

• « • The banshee is the domestic ghost or spirit attached to certain Irish or Highland Scottish households, and is supposed to take an interest in the welfare of the family generally and especial); to nail at the death oi any one of its members. Thebanshec is pictured in Irish folk-lore under the form of a little old woman with long hair, which shecontinues to comb, at the same time keeping up an incessant weeping and wailing. The inoident of the comb is exactly similar to the legend of the German Lorelei, a spirit which sings, whilst the banshee weeps, as an accompaniment. The proud distinction of possessing a private banshee is allowed only to families of pure Milesian stook. The word is derived from the Gaelic ban-iith, a woman fairy.