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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1929, 10 March 1875, Page 2

At tb© corner to day Mr R. Mtfcdonaid Scott exhibited two nice specimens of 6ton© from tbe new reef in the Golden Calf. A good many inspected the Btone, but it is remarkable how cautious everyone was about giving an opinion as tojwhetber the metal in the stone was gold or something else. Tbe sell over the Ohiaemuri specimens,has taught some of the knowing ones a lesson ; they won't pronounce hasty judgments in future.

Mr O'SulHvan, the Inspector of Schools, has been 'engaged. since arrival at the Thames in visiting the various schools, with which, so far as he has at present got, he expresses himself quite satisfied as to the mode of conducting them by the teachers, and the" attendance. Mr : ©'Sullivan' yesterday visited the Kauaeranga Girb' School.

The Lalla Rookh took a quantity of baggage on her trip to Ohinemuri this morning —amongst it a 'bus. The 'bus trade will be pretty extensive there until tramways are introduced, inasmuch as .the.....townships are all a pretty considerable distance from one another, and each one from the landing place. ; '"• '': '' ■'■''.■■*• ' '"■ '■■'"-■"■

* An ornithological phenomenon has recently made its appearance on the Thames. The grounds of Mr Mcßoberts, of Parawai, were recently visited iby a strange, bird, which appears to be a kind of compromise between a seagull and a rooster. It is about the size of an ordinary specimen of the latter fowl, but has webbed feet, and its bill is long, and tapers off towards the end. The bird is very tame, it has become quite domesticated, and mixes with the fowls about the house, talcing its meals regularly with them. It is more than probable that it is some importation of the acclimatization societyits being so tame is suggestive of this. Mr Mcßoberts purposes sending it to the office of the Society in Auckland.

Air accident happened on the Pearl last night? which ought to be a warning to those on. board to exercise a little more care. It; was dark when the boat arrived at Shortland Wharf, and before the passengers had time to leave, the coal bunker was opened to take in coals. An elderly gentleman passenger, not seeing this trap, stepped down and severely bruised his leg, narrowly escaping much more serious injury.

It seems that only for deaths thera would bo no living in this world of ours. This sounds strangelr, but that it is quite as trite as it is strange Dr Letheby has proved conclusively enough. This distinguished authority has found that the annual excess of births over deaths is 12 8 per 1000 in England and Wales ; but if it were eighteen per 1000, as it is in 100 registration counties, the doctor observes that the population wonld be doubled every forty years; "so that the 22,712,266 of "the census of 1871 would become rather more tliaa 45 000,000 in forty years, and nearly 91,000,000 in eighty years. la about 120 year?, or about two generations, it would be nearly 120,000,000—which is the estimated population of India. In 240 years tho estimate d population of England and Wales, unless it was exported year by year in enormous n asses, would reach to rather more than 1,150,000,000 persons.. Just imagine all these people huddled together within the prescribed limits of England and Wales ! Positively shocking to contemplate 1

Comparisons are said to be odious, but at the risk of being considered odious, the Intelligent Vagrant thus discourses on the course pursued by a home judge, as against that permitted by a New Zealand judge whose Bon-in law practised in his Court:— One Dunedin paper has been badgering the barristers, and the other has beisn buttering the judge. I have nothing to say against the judge j the cases in which I am concerned are invariably disposed of summarily in the [Resident Magistrate's Court. But, as a general thing about judges, may I ask notice for the conduct of an eminent English judg», one Pollock, who, when fee presided over the Court of Exchequer, had, as leader of the Exchequer Bar, one Martin, his eon-in-law. This judge, holding that he should be above suspicion, notified to his son-in-law that he had better give up practice in the Court of Exchequer, or he, the judge, would be compelled to give up presiding there. Nay, so precise was the judge in these matters, that in the full Court, when, appeals were on, he always retired when Martin appeared to take part in a case. This was very Quixotic conduct certainly, but somehow the story of it eeems to redound to the credit of a judge.