1931-11-20 — Page 7

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER

20, 1931.

CHARMS OF REPTILE LIFE

TAIL OF A LIZARD.

And How It Was Lost Through

Fright.

Frogs, toads and snakes, to say, she never forgot the lesson. nothing of other "creepy crawly" things, are not among the most popular of creatures, yet many of them have their charms and their fasenation, writes Frances l'itt n The Evening News.

а

or

The common lizard really is a very pretty little thing, especially when seen basking in the sunshine on an Autun day. To see it you must keep a sharp look-out, a very sharp loak out indeed, when crossing common, a heathery moorland when climbing a stony hillside. If you do this, carefully scanning the pathway and flat stones that erop up among the purple heather, ya will Boon' wee one, seated just where the sunshing is hottest, its Rifle rather birdlike head corked to one side, and its tiny bright eyes alert for danger, at the approach of which it is gone in a flash.

A Very Fast Quarry,

f

"DEAR BRUTUS.”

Fourth Presentation in Colony.

TRIBUTE TO A.D.C.

To

G

THE

crowded house in the Theatre Royal Inst night, the Amateur Dramatic Club gave

n fourth and very successful perfor- mance of Sir James Barrie's three- act comedy "Dear Brutus" judging by the prolonged applause when the final "curtain" fell. The player were all in good form, and much credit is dus to Rupart Foster, the producer.

The frog and the tond can always

As Joanna, Veronica Butterfield be told apart by the sober, staid

fine performance, whilst demeanour of the toad, which never gave indulges in flying hops, and the Margaret Birt stood out well in the

say role of Mrs. Code. Teas Thorp! smart aspect of the frog to nothing of its ability to get over the fas Mrs. Dearth), Sunny Hole (an ground. The frog, moreover, has a Lady Caroline), and Jean Mackin! smooth skin and is prettily marked (us Mrs. Purdie) did well, but best with fawns and brown, but the toad of all, surely, was. Betty Fair, as

Margaret. is rough and warty.

The part she portrayed Besides the common toad there is in the realistic wood scene, was ex-I the matterjack, a small, greyish cellent.

Of the male players in the cast, toad with a pale line down its back, but it is by no means frequent nor Sydney West, as Lob, the eccentric likely to be met taking an evening old man, was good. Although the stroll along the garden path. It is role was not very big, it called for It was a difficult customary to decry the toad's ap-clever acting.

pearance, and it must be confessed part. Alec Gray, as Dearth, the that he is by no means handsome, drunkari; is nccredited with a fine yet he has his beauty, in his eyes, piece of acting out his part. As the which gleam as it with hidden fires romantle lover, Purdie, Maurice and flash strange red and aniber Barton Way convincing.. lights.

Cyril Champkin (as Crade) 'called

common,

whilst

Other common reptiles of our for much humour In the second act. I remember once on the Cumber-ditches and wayside pools are the Eric Brooks (nx Matey: the butler) Jand Fells having an exciting morn-newts or efts, of which there are rendered strong support. ing's sport trying to catch lizards, three species, two being

The scenery throughout is credit- of which I wanted a few' to take the great crested and the common able, whilst the lighting effect, es- home with me, The quarry was

newt. Like the frog and the toad.pecially in the Wood scene, calls for stone they repair in the springtime for high commendation. plentiful nearly every flat held one or two, varying much in breeding to the water, where they "Dear Brutus" will be repeated colour and markings, from drub, deck themselves with wavy combs] to-night and finally to-morrow night plain ones to daintily spotted in- along the back and become gay little at 9:15 o'einek." - dividuals. But, oh the chase was n fellows, but now they have dis- stern one: each lizard had to be carded their bridal finery, and have stalked as a cat would stalk a mouse, come ashore to seek snug quarters] and then pounced on as a cat would for the Winter months ahead. on her quarry, My morning's "bag" nombered three, and then the sum disappeared behind a heavy grey gloud, when every lizard likewise vanished.

The three I brought home, and. after keeping them for a while in a

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The Warning Pattern.

BABY SHOW.

The first Baby Show in connec- tion with the Social Welfare. De- We have only one poisonous rep-¡partment of the Chinese Y,M.C.A. tile in the British Isles, the adder, was held on Wednesday at the As- and its bite, though no joking mat-sociation building, Bridges Street. tor, is not dangerous to life in Eighty babies (51 boys and 29 human beings. Our other two snakes girls) were entered.

are the harmless grass snake and The judges, Dra. F. 1. Tseung, T. small "vivarium," turned them out the smooth nake. The smooth C. Yip and K. F. Ko, had a difficult snake is rare, but the grass snake task, but finally awarded prizes to is fairly common in some districts. the following:-1. Tang Chun Sang It is this snake which lay tie white (boy); Mew Kaw Terrace, Wanchai; skinny egga, about the size of those 2. Ho Shuk-yin (girl), Cheung Sal of a dove, which are sometimes Wan Road, Shamshuipo; 3. Yam Ho- found in the kitchen-garden hot bed, nang (boy), 60 Bonham Road.

upon the wall of the sunk ditch in the wurden. They lived in its crevices for a while, and one day my old eat, Katie, of lamented memory, brought me an offering. It was one of the lizards, which I had dubbed "Jimmy." and Jimmy was delivered minus its tail!

Many lizards, including our little friend and the slow-worm--that legless, snakelike lizard which is so often mitaken for a "polsonous adder"—have the power to break off their tail in moments of stress.

At

for it likes to leave them where the conclusion of the judging a pho- rotting vegetable matter will hasten tograph was taken, Dr. F. 1. Tseung by the warmth of its decay the addressed the gathering and Dr. T. appearance of the young snakes. C. Yip presented the prizes, which The adder, however, produces its had been donated by the Nestle and young 短行 perfect tile snakes. Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co., miniature editions of itself.

Mr. Tang Shiu-kin, J.P., and him- The adder, or viper, can be dis-self. The discarded tail, still charged | tinguished from the grass snake

The show was organised by Miss with muscular energy, hops about and the inoffensive though smakelike Au Lai-yung, of the Y.M.C.A. staff, for some minutes

after its owner | blindworm by the pattern of dark has thrown it aside, and even when | diamond-shaped marks down Ita

or

Four Maidenhead boys, three of

It has become quiet can be stimulatback. The grass snake has dark whom were over 14, were summoned ed to fresh contortions by a prod marks on its side and the blindworm at Maidenhead for cruelly ill-treat touch of a stick. Apparently is just plain brownish fawn. Howing a cat by tying a firework on its this device is useful when the lizard ever, when you come upon a "anake" tail. It was stated that the eldest is attacked by predatory birds or lying on the pathway enjoying the boy tied a "demon cannon" to the mammals, yet in Jimmy's case the Autumn sunshine, it is as well, un-cat's tail while the others held it. tail was thrown off in vain. It was less you really do know what it is. When the firework exploded, the cat the lizard itself that old Katic to give it the benefit of the doubt whirled round and jumped a high; brought to me, not its useless tail.

I returned Jimmy to the garden

wall (he was no whit the worse for

his adventures), but a few weeks

later Katie again captured him and brought him to me, but by now he had begun to grow a new tall. Once more he was taken back, and that was the last time I saw him.

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CHINA

MAIL.

VOLUNTEER CORPS.

Orders for the Coming Week.

Orders by Lieut.-Colonel L. G. Bird, D.S.O., Q.B.E., commanding Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps, are issued as under

PARADES.

Promotions and Appointments.

A Commission as Lieutenant in the Medical Section of the Corps has |

been granted to John Alexander Ro bertson

M.B., Selby, Esquire, (Edin.) by His Excellency the Governor with effect from Novem- ber 8, 1931.

Authority: C.S.O. 2 in 19871931) The following promotions and ap- pointments in the Portuguese Com- pay have been made to take effect: from 19th instant:

No. 9 Platoon. No. 1221 L/Cpl. J. P. Baleros to

(u) Battery-The Battery will par-{

ade at 5.30 p.m. at Headquar-Corporal.

Thursday, the 26th.) No. 1448 Pte. F. F. Cruz, lo Lance

Corporal.

lers instant.

on

NEW MUSIC

Bound Volumes of Piano Pieces

CHOPIN

SCHUBERT

SCHUMANN

GREIG

to

TSCHAIKOWSKY

LISZT

b) Engineer Company.-1. Mon- No. 1408 Pic. W. Laurence

day, November 23. Miniature Lance Corporal. Range, Headquarters 5.30 p.m. No. 1600 Pte. M. M. Soares to

2. Tuesday, November 24. Lance Corporal. Launch for Pakshawan leaves Police Pier, Kowloon at 5.40] No. 1601 Pte. L. Soares to Lance p.m. Members attending Arti-Corporal. lery Shoot please note.

No. 10 Platoon.

No. 1595 Pte. V. M. Nunes to

3. Thursday, November 20, Lance Sergeant. There will be no D. L. instruc- tion at Wellington Barracks on) this date.

No. 12 Platoon. ..No. 1339 L/Cpl. A. A. Xavier to Lance Corporal.

No. 1290 L/Cpl. H. M. Britto to 4. Friday, November 27,| The Company will proceed to Lance Corporal. Camp at Pakahawan. Parade at No, 1232 Pte. F. V. V. Ribeiro to Queen's Pier 6 pm. Dress: Lance Corporal. Jackets, alacks, F. S. caps, belt, No. 1593 Pte. A. A. dos Remedios, sidearms and haversacks. Rifles to Lance Corporal.

and Greatcoats will be carried.] No. ¡612 Pie. J. J. Lima to Lance Extra' baggage must be at Head-Corporal. quarters before 12 mid-day.

Reversion.

Return about 9 p.m. Sunday. The following members

of the

All ranks are warned that Portuguese Company revert to the cameras must not be taken into ranks at their own request with the W.D. Aren.

5. Monday, November 30. Miniature Range, Headquarters 5.30 pan..

6. Sunday, December Company Shoot, Peak Range.

effect from 19th. instant:

No. 1483 L/Cpl. F. M. Silva

946

A. M. B. Rocha

"

1424

H. H. Remedios

"

1

13.

1423

*

L. M. R. Pereira

1123

H

+

A. P. E. Silva.

Transfer.

7 Sunday, December 20.1 Classification, Part II Stone-i cutters.

No. 1407 Plc. J. N. Sweeney, No.

6 Platoon is transferred to Scottish

te) Scottish Company. 1. The Reserve as from 15.11.31.

Company will proceed to Camp on Friday, the 20th Instant.

Dress: As stated in Corps Circular No. 141/31.

No. 1081 Sigm. E. H. Williams,

Corps Signals, is transferred to Reserve Company as from 19.11.31:

Special Note:-The Kilt will be worn whilst proceeding to 7 and from Camp, but Shorts will be worn during training in Camp.

2. The Company will parade at Headquarters at 6.30 pm on Thursday, the 26th, instant, for Squad Drill with Arms under 2nd Lieut: A. W. Brown.

Belt and Bayonet must bel

Struck Off The Strength.

Having left the Colony... No. 1068 L/Cpl. M. Morrison, No. Platoon, as from 12.9.31.

On Medical Grounds.

No. 958 Ptc. A. A. dos Remedios, No. 11 Platoon, as from 3.10.31. Having completed 3 Years' Service.

No. 1875 Pte. M. T. Nunes, No. 12 Platoon, as from 2.11.31.

No. 933 Pte. E. Law, Reserve Company as from 4.11.31.

No. 566 L/Sgt. C. L. Farmer, Ar- moured Car Coy. Car Sec. ns from 3. Church Parade. The an- 6.11.31. nual Church Parade will take

worn

Strength.

place on Sunday, the 29th. inst... The following has been taken on and it is requested that all the Strength: members will make every en- deavour to attend.

Details regarding Dress, etc. will be issued later.

(d) The Officers Commanding the

undermentioned Unite

No. 1769 Pte. V. H. White, No. 3 Platoon.

Leave.

Captain A. M. Thornhill, Armour ed Car Company, Car Section, re- will turned from leave on 27.10.31. The remainder of his leave up to 1.1.32 is cancelled.

issue their Orders separately to their Commanda:

I.. Corps Band

H. Corps Signals

III. Machine Gun Troop

IV. Armoured Car Coy., Motor

Cycle Section

V.

Machine, Gun Company

VI. Portuguese Company.

Attachment.-

No, 1803 Pte. R. Morrison, No. G Platoon, granted 2 months' sick leave from 17.9.31 to 17.11.31.

(Sgd). W, II. G, GOATER, Capt. ‹ ›

-Adjutant, H.K.V.D.C. |

A FAMOUS WINE HOUSE.

and step aside, for an adder's bite is fence, later being found injured. 2nd. Lieut. N, S. Ellis, RoyalĮ

In a Westminster map of Henry no thing to trifle with.

The eldest boy was fined 20., and Signals, (T. A. Res. 0.) is attached the Eighth's time a farm building: The probabilities are, neverthe- the others were fined 108, each. to The H.K.V.D. Corps (Corps is shown in the fields to the north- effect from Octber west of the leper house that was on the site of the Palace of St. James's, Authority:-C.R.C.C. No. 6162/G.It presumably provided the milk for

less, that it is nought but a blind-The chairman said the magistrates Signals) with worm. As I said at the beginning were sorry they had not the power 19.

of this article, the blindworm is not to order the boys to be birched.

a snake but a legless lizard. How- ever it looks so like a snake that anyone might be deceived, especially when it is sunning its twelve' to eghteen inches of slender, shape 3 with its little black tongue flickering

in and out of its mouth.

It may be asked what is the na tural foe of a creature like a lizard? It is the kestrel which makes the lizard keep its little sharp eye cock ed to the sky, and so ready to make

Afraid of the Tongue. a lightning dart for home. The That black tongue, in the eyes of policeman of the skies, who hovers the country folk, is positive evidence aloft on rapidly beating wings, that the little reptile is extremely scanning with keen eyes the long dangerous, and has a venomous grass of the meadows, the bare hill stingi How many blindworms sides, and the heathery moorlands, are annually slain and TL- likes a dainty little Hizard as a corded as "addera"" we cannot change from voles, mice and shrews. say, but they are a very large num

The humble frog also has enemies ber. I have reduced burly country- .on high, for little as it might be meu to an almost hysterical con- suspected, birds so diverse as the dition by producing a blindworm brown owl and the crow will pick it and letting it coil about my fingers from its home among the lowly the while it moved its head to and plants and bear it off."

fro, and its forked black, tongue shot -in and out of its mouth.

Frogs Are Tasty!

:

:

:|:

The truth is that the frog, though. By the way, the name of "blind," but a humble little reptile, is a worm is a misnomer, for it can see palatable morsel, and much sought very well, nor is the other popular after by many creatures, especially name.any. better, since it is not a atters and herons. It is in. a differ- | "slow," worm, but a lizard that can ent category from its cousin the move at a great pace, and glide toad, which is avoided by most birds through the grass as quickly as a and beasts. The toad emits an acid true snake, secretion which makes it a most un- pleasant mouthful. How well Iro Sir William Hart -Dyke, seventh member the day when my old pet baronet, of Lullington Castic, otter, Madame Moses, then a young Eynsford, Kent, who cat' In the and. Innocent cub, found her first House of Commons for forty-one toad, and rashly grabbed it, only to years; holding many-ofkes, Includ- throw it away, roll on the ground. Ing that of Chlef Secretary för fro- and rub her muzzle... frantically, on r land, friend and adviser of the Earl the turf. Later, she found out how of Beaconsfield, left unsettled estate to deal with a toad, washing and of the gross value, of 79,112, the washing it until it grad fit to easi mot personalty being £4.1

Joe

colour lau

Brown and Winnie Ligkiner, stars

hit now at the Queen's Theatre.

the lepers. On October 8 in St. James's Street the firm of Berry who have occupied the farm sites since the seventeenth century, pro-| viding wine and coffee Instead of foo milk to the Palace, celebrated the reoccupation of all their old, pre! mises by taking in the house, next. door that had been for a century in other occupation...

It is an interesting chapter in the romance of London trade... The shop that is now enlarged is much As it was when the Pickerings, the first traders, began business. ́ ́A Pickering married a Clark docu- ments are needed here, but Mr. Walter Berry, historian and wit, as well as wine merchant, had traced, aPickering Clark who died Insti įmonth in South Africa-anda Clark a' Berry, and this year a new gen- eration of Berrys joined the ancient firma

The treasures of the house ware! brought out at the celebration-et- |ters and drawings of Queen Vic-| toria, when a child, to her."Dear; doar Lewis," a lady ln'attendance and a great-grand-aunt of the headi of the Berry. house, an original: "bootleg, 'ja' flat leather flask used In Marlborough's time by seamen to carry gin in their sea boota, al collection of Jacobean and Georgian bottles that has few rivals, and many fine prints and chairs. The floor of the ancient shop is wavy au! e the door of the Cathedral of St. Mark's in Venice fo-perhaps moro appropriately szó In a chapel dedic-! ated to Bacchun..

་

MENDELSSOHN

BEETHOVEN SOMATAS

Dancing

For

AT

ANDERSON'S

GO

TO THE

ROOF GARDEN

HONG KONG

HOTEL

TEA DANCES

5 to 7 p.m.

Every

Week-day Evening

The

•Hong Kong & Shanghai

Hotels, Ltd.

FIRST STILL

1627

STILL FIRST

1927

Consumers are requested to see that every battle of John Hale

Gold Label Whisky as supplied by us bears the foot, label thus: "Gande Price & Co, Lid, Sole Agents for Hong Kong,”

SOLE AGENTS

GANDE, PRICE & CO., LTD.,

· St. George's Building, Ico House Street, DIAL 20185.

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