MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 31 May 1880, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

* — The New Zealand Mail says :— There was on the Queen's wharf on Monday afternoon a quantity of cargo awaiting shipment for tbe Soutb, which forced itself on pubiic attention. It consisted of some 30 sacks of dried phark, a Maori luxury, and those who had the misfortune to pass to leeward of it can testify, if they

have yet recovered the slmefc, to tho penetrating powers of the efl-Uvtum «ris< ing therefrom. One enterprising gentl&* man— a prominent member of the Druids —not satisfied wi'h his share of the per* fume wbieh was being wafted around a considerable radius, daringly approached the stack, and, while the crowd stood at % safe distance open-mouthed iv astonish?" nwnt at his temerity, be lifted one of the sharks to his nasal projection with tbe "new probably of ascertaining what was the matter with it. He was satisfied in a remarkably short space of time, and beat a hasty retreat, much to the joy ot the bystanders, who feared that nothing less than a coroner's inquest would be the resnit of his inquisitiveness. The Otago Daily Times reports the discovery of portions of the skeleton of s very large fish 1£ feet below the surface of the ground at tha i-asworks. The formation of the ground thereabout con* sisfs of blue clay, interspersed with oyster and cockle shells to the dep«h of at least 00 feet, In this bed fish remains are often fi'und, but those recently dis* coy. r s d are of a peculiarly interesting character. The vertebias of a whale waa found on tbe flat about seven years ago, when the old gasholder was set, an 1 th«se recently brought to light were tound in the excavation which is now being made f>r the new gasholder. The bones are those of an enormous swordfish. Tha sword bone is about 4 feet in length and is 4in in breadth at the wide end. The tail fin has also been found, and is of proportionately large dimensions. _L number of the vertebra and portions of of the fin, as well as other pieces of bone bave been got out, and are in a capital state of preservation. It is roughly esti* mated that th'- f_A\ must have been 18 *t, 1 >ng, so that should the entire skeleton be obtained, it. will be a yery interesting specimen. . ------ ■*--■