NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 July 1938, Page 6

NEWS AND NOTES

VARIOUS ITEMS OF INTEREST. Find of Ambergris. While walking along ’the beach at Blaketown, Greymouth, recently, Mrs Fagerlund, of Guinness Street, found a lump of ambergris which weighed lib B|oz. The Ambergris has been sent to Christchurch for sale. Freak Calf. A bull calf fully developed and normal in every other particular save that its legs were only about half the ordinary length, giving the animal a most unusual appearance when it stood up, was born on a farm at Urenui recently. It was subsequently killed.

Cat Adopts Ship. Boarding the Port Hardy of its own initiative at Brisbane, a cat has made the ship her home and has been adopted by the crew. While still two days out from Auckland she gave birth to two kittens, which the crew are trying to give away. The Port Hardy before had a ship’s cat, a black one, but it had to be destroyed. “And we’ve not had any luck since,” asid a member of the crew.

Shortage of Whitebait The shortage of whitebait continues, owing to the muddy condition of the Waikato River restricting netting operations. -• A very small quantity of the fish has been taken from the Waikato since the opening of the season on July 1, and it has been forwarded to Wellington, where better prices are obtainable. Auckland fish-shops are still without supplies. It is hoped that as soon as the water clears large quantities of the delicacy will be available.

Mixed Metaphors. “I do not understand that,” said Mr Justice Callan in the Supreme Court recently, when counsel asked a union secretary whether he would go out of: his way to “put a spoke in the wheel of a member.”, “Are you hot getting your metaphors mixed?” His Honour added. “What you mean is ‘Would he throw a spanner in the works?’ ?His Honour later suggested that a little slang might be used by asking witness if he would “put a member’s pot on.”

“Oldest Living Thing.” According to the superintendent of reserves (Mr S. I. Cox) a large tree in Moutoa Gardens, Wanganui, has another 3uoo years to live. It is a species of Texas cypress. The Reserves Committee of the Wanganui City Council saw the tree during a visit of inspection. “We can safely leave its future to the generations yet unborn,” was a remark when Mr Cox assessed its age. He said that one such tree in Texas had been photographed and described as the oldest living thing. Motor-vessel Launched.

The ketch-rigged motor-vessel Mercury Belle, built to the order of Mr E. Mizen, of Great Mercury Island, was launched recently from the yard of Mr R. Lidgard, on the western reclamation, Auckland. A vessel of 52ft over all, the Mercury Belle will be used for the conveyance of wool and stores to and from, the island, a distance of 69 miles from Auckland. Her construction also makes her suitable for lengthy cruises and her owner hopes to use her on a cruise of the Islands.

Aeroplanes in New Guinea. The increasing use of aeroplanes as a means of transport in New Guinea was commented on in an interview on Saturday by Mr B. H. Stinear, who has returned from north-east New Guinea, where he took part in an exploration trip organised by the Island Exploration Company. He said that although there were a few mo-tor-cars in the towns there were only two methods of travelling in New Guinea, on foot or by aeroplane. An aeroplane could coyer as much ground in five minutes as a party on foot in a day, and without them it would have been almost impossible to do any gold prospecting. Clergymen as Cooks.

Some amusement was aroused at a meeting of the Auckland Presbytery when arrangements for a Summer School of Theology, to be held at Mairangi Bay in September, were outlined by the Rev W. R. Milne. The school would be open to ministers and home missionaries from the Auckland, North Auckland and South Auckland Presbyteries, Mr Milne said, and to keep the cost as low as possible, it was proposed that the cooking should be undertaken by the men in attendance. “I am sure,” Mr Milne added, amid laughter, “that those deputed will find plenty of opportunity for fruitful discussion.”

Study of the Habits of Ants. An interesting exhibit at a meeting of the Canterbury branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand was a group of cases showing ■ ants carrying out their operations under glass. The habits of the insects were discussed in a paper by Mr W. Moore, of Christ’s College, who described their complicated social life and gave members the opportunity to see them at work in the cases. A tribute to Mr Moore’s work in the study of ants was paid by the chairman (Dr F. W. Hilgendorf), who said that Mr Moore had made the study an interest outside his work, and had made a number of boys at Christ’s College acquainted with the habits of ants.