Miscellaneous.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 303, 3 September 1908, Page 3

Miscellaneous.

__O What is probably the finest work on botany ever published has recently been issued from a Leipzig press, to the order of the Brazilian Government. It consists of 40 volumes, comprising 130 parts, with 20,733 pages, dealing with 40,000 species of flora found in Brazil. The work was begun in 1819 by Martins, and has been built up by 65 authors. The Vicar of Haywards Heath, having received numerous complaints of flowers having been re; moved from graves in the parish churchyard, gave instructions for a watch to be kept. \ After remaining in hiding for some time the verger was about to retire, when he saw a number of blackbirds upon the graves. They plucked' the flowers froxii the zinc receptacles and scattered them about the churchyard, afterwards returning to the graves and bathing themselves in the water in which the flowers stood. The Bishop of London, at a dinner party at which Mr Burns was present, expressed the hope that the President of the Local Government Board would not allow a tube railway to be constructed under St. Paul’s. Mr Burns reassured the Bishop by replying that he took a personal interest in St. Paul’s, for he was always to be found there with outstretched arms il I am one of the archangels,” he added. He explained that years ago he posed as a model for Sir William Richmond, and was the original of at least one of the mosaic figures on the roof - of' St. Paul’s. Police clogs have been tried at Hull for the last three months with so much success that the authorities have decided to increase the force. The dogs, which are Airedale terriers, are taught to obey the calls of small trumpets which the policemen carry. They are held on leash, and when they are slipped they make straight for the fugitive and seize him. They are even trained to upset bicycles. When three alleged shopbreakers were before the magistrates at Hall it was stated that a policeman called on the men to stop. They refused, and he let loose an Airedale terrier. The animal caught one runaway, threw him down, and kept him prisoner until his human colleague arrived and arrested, the man.

The King has exercised his influence in causing the revival to some extent of the high silk hat, which, but for his Majesty, would probably have been regarded ei e this as one of fashion’s relics (says “M.A.P.’’) The decline in the popularity of that form of headgear may be gathered from the fact that the manufacturing trade has fallen to about a tenth of its former extent. King Edward was approached by the manufacturersof France and England, who saw their silk hat trade growing finer by degrees and beautifully less.. These tradesmen prayed his Majesty to letain the tall hat in his favour, and thus revive its .vogue. The King yielded to their request by wearing this style ofheadgear on every possible occasion, and by causing intimations to be conveyed to the members of the smart dubs in Pall Mall and Piccadilly that- it would please him if the members helped to save the industry from ruin by following his example.

While man makes the largest ocean vessels, nature makes the smallest. This is a species of / jellyfish', found only in tropical | seas, which has a sail. The part of the fish under the water looks like a mass of fang-led threads, while the sail is a tough membrane, shaped like a shell, and measuring quite five inches and sometimes more across. The fish can raise or lower this sail at _will. Wise sailors let this curiosity of nature alone, for each of the threads composing its body has the power of stinging, the results of which are very painful and often dangerous. This power defends it from porpoises, albatrosses, and other natural enemies. It has no other means of locomotion than its sail, and when seen swimming bravely along the surface of the water, it looks more like a child’s toy boat than a living creature out in search of food.