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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 175, 21 February 1868, Page 2

Tiießesident Magistrate's Court—The business of the Court will be resumed this morning at 10 a.m. Yesterday Dr. Giles was absent at Addison's Flat, so that no Court was held in Westport.

The Mokihinui. The Waipara, which returned from Mokihinui yesterday, brings anything but cheering reports. Another family, with their house and household effects, were brought by her, and several others of the leading firms will shortly clear out, unless something more turns up. _ The Weather.—Yesterday the previous sunshine of the last few days gave way to more of the prevailing wet and dull weather, and although there was no great fall of rain in the immediate vicinity of the township, a considerable quantity must have fallen up the country judging from the freshet in the river.

Reserved Crown Lands.— The Provincial Gazette of the 17th inst notifies that the following Crown Lands have been reserved for public purposes in Westport, viz.:—For educational purposes—SectionNo. 992, town of Westport. For a hospital —A block of land in the township of Westport, containing 2 acres 3 roods 8 perches. Bounded on the northeast by Adderley-street; south-east by Disroeli-street; south-west by a road on the banks of the Buller ; northwest by Bentharn-street. For a cemetery —A block of land in the township of Westport, containing 3 roods 2 perches. Bounded on the northeast by Palmerston-street; south-cast by Boebuck-street; south-west by Adderley-street; north-west by Dis-raeli-street ; also for a cemetery—A block of land in the township of Westport, containing 1 rood 24 perches. Bounded on the north-east by sections Nos. 276 and 275 ; south-east by sections Nos. 974 and 979 ; south-west by sections Nos. 980 and 981; northwest by Crown Land, The Nathan Troupe.—That little actress La Petite Marion takes her benefit this evening, and from her popularity we have no doubt but that she will have a bumper, especially as an excellent entertainment is provided.

New Zealand Coal.—Our Coal Fields are begining to attract the attention of scientific men in England. The fears entertained of the ultimate exhaustion of the coal seams at home are beginning to direct enquiry to the chief gold producing places in the British colouies, and Sir Roderick Murchison, the Director-General of the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom, in his report on the importance of the various coal countries, says, that out of twenty-five colonies brought under his consideration two

only are worthy of Imperial notice, viz., New South AVales and Newfoundland, but he adds " New Zealand is a, eolony to which his attention has not been called; in that island a considerable amount of coal of tho secondary and tertiary age is in course of developement, under the direction of Dector Hector." We, therefore, living as wo do in the centre of the chief coal producing portion of these islands, have reason to look with hope to our future, as no doubt the coal export will form one of the staple institutions of the country when the gold at present enriching it is worked out.

Moa's Head.—Now that the Moa's head is no more, and naturalists are deprived of the pleasure of studying the cranium of so gigantic a bird, it will be as well to throw over the proposition of its being a bird's head at all; and to declare openly our belief that it was nothing more nor less than the skull of some sea monster of the whale species. The Moa is known to be a bird of the ostrich tribe, and to have a long neck, but what kind of neck he must have had to carry the enormous head as given to him by the exhibitors, we are at a loss to conjecture. We can imagine an elephant carrying such a frontispiece, but we are not so credulous as regards a moa, and besides, the specimen was found (if we are rightly informed) near the beach beyond the Orawaiti, and not in unbroken ground, at the Caledouian, as stated by our contemporary, and we are creditably informed that the same skull was seen and commented on some two years ago. We probably have no Professor Owen in our midst, or he might unravel the mystery, and decide under what classification an animal owning such a skull would come.