RANDOM SHOTS.

[BY ZAMIEL.]

Some write, a neighbour s name to lash. Some write—vain thoughts—for heedful cash, Some write to please the country clash, pr • - jj And raise a dm For mo an aim I never fash—

1 writo for fun,

"The Petticoat Parliament is the name which seems likely to fit the rapidly expiring Assembly of New Zealand, because of the feminine legislation promised in the closing session. If some people have their wish, not only will women have the electoral fran chise conferred upon them by this Parlia ment, but they will be emancipated from the vile slavery of serving " long-boers" to thirsty humanity. Pefcitionsaro being signed in various parts of the country, calling upon Parliament to declare the employment of barmaids illegal after a certain date to be fixed by the House of Representatives. The petitioners are not unreasonable, for they recognise that hardship might be inflicted upon the women and girls now engaged, in the trade were their summary dismissal insisted upon, and they therofore stipulate that all females now "practising at,the bar" be permitted to do so for the term of their natural lives. Tin's is a valu able concession, and one which should be a decided boon to the fair monopolists of the barmaid, profession, since it will greatly increase their money value. I opine, how eVor, that the first effect of any proposed legislation on these lines would be the wholesale engagement of young and pretty barmai-is by every publican in the colony, so that not for a generation at least should the contemplated "reform" become opera tive.

This barmaid question, like all others, has its two sides; I do not refer to the active influence for good that may be exercised over men by the presence at each public-house bar of a young, good looking and fairly modest woman, though the deterrent effect from hard drinking and bad language is probably more than can be estimated. (To prove that barmaids may be modest, I may state that a young lady of that "persuasion" in a Napier hotel lately refused to give a rich but amorous " squatter " a kiss in exchange for a fifty Mound note.) But I view the ques tion from the woman's standpoint, and ask —Ls it not an injustice to women to shut thorn out from an employment which is pleasant and lucrative, and is certainly no .more demoralising to them than it' is to men, if indeed it is as much so? Why should Parliament with the one hand confer an ideal and questionable privilege "upon fchu fail sex in tho shape of the right to vote, and with the other shut them out from a means of earning an honest livelihood ? Give women tho franchise, and then ask Parliament to do any thing so monstrous ! Instead of shutting the door to female employment, it would bo found that tho true Petticoat Parliament would open all professions to women, and thus setiure the substantial rights of the weaker vessel.

The problem of "what to do with our girls " will become increasingly diflicult of solution if we go on shutting them out of old fields of occupation without opening fresh ones. Why should not girls be em ployed n's telegraphists and clorks in this colony, as they are in the United States? "The Vagabond," who was lately travel ling through America, in speaking of the newspapers of Canada, says :—- " One particularity in connection with the Montreal ' Star' is the number of young

lady clcirk.s in the front office. They take 1 your advertisements, make out your bills and .'chock the files with 'quickness and 'fl'eb'patchV , If I had any business in this Hue'l should infinitely prefer to deal with these young ladies than with malo clerks.

They are ;ill nicely dressed and prettily spoken." In many newspaper and other offices in Great Britain lady clerks are largely employed, and it is not long since an advertisement appeared in a London

paper offering from £500 to £1,000 a-year to a lady journalist. The only stipulation was that "the lady should be young and clever," and should also have " position ;" but if shcrhad not a private carriage of

her own, one would be provided for her.

Now that's the proper sort of way in which to raise the status of the fair sex, and I am of opinion that if the New Zea land Government would but employ females

in the Civil Service the public house bars IW'buid soon be deserted by the fair creatures, who can have no real love for such a calling.

~■ .' * * _ ■ * * * * The reverend faith-healer's denunciation of Freemasonry as "idiotic tomfoolery" is not the only " nasty jar " that " the free and accepted brethren " have received • this week in Auckland. Aseailed thus fero- I ciously. from the Pulpit, they have also been; attacked no less bitterly from the • JJar.i • In the course of an argument before Mr Justice Ward in Chambers on Monday last, respecting the trial of a pending 1 action, Mr Singleton Rochfort made the . lingular request that if a jury were em : panelled care should be taken to pre vent the inclusion of any "usurers ■or Freemasons." Asked for his reason : for such a strange collocation, he said that usurers' would perhaps sympathise with : defendant's conduct, while as he judged by defendants-looks that he was also a Freemason, it was obvious that Masonic jurors would be very strongly biassed in nis favour, and that justice was not to be ex pected under such circumstances. Masons ■ were secretly bound to help each other, and ''■therefore when justice was concerned they "were to be regarded with suspicion. This was the substance of the learned gentle man's statement, and he backed it up by expressing his entire disbelief in the vaunted Value of trial by jury. His Honor remarked that it was regarded as the bul wark of British liberty, but Mr Rochfort, with a scornful curl of the lip, stated his preference for trial by judge alone. After this Dowie - cum - Rochfort bombardment what is'to'become of the hapless craftsmen ? But of course they have always in reserve for cases of emergency an abundant supply of. Kentish fire ! At any rate it will be news''to the " brethren " that their con nection with 'Masonry can be recognised i rorii their looks. There must be something uncanny about Mr Rochfort. Is he clair voyant? ;'

■A propos of legal matters, Mr Justice Ward this week reminded some local prac titioners very aptly of the former strin gency of the law in particular cases. A learned gentleman who had : ob tained :■;leave for his client to sue in forma pauperis ■> wished to obtain for that; client the further concession of being , protected from possible costs in the event of failure to prove the case. Upon this point,,the,.counsel for the other side came tqjssue >vith the applicant, and an animated argume,ntf ensued, in ,w-hich frequent «nee was made to antique custom and to

musty authorities r the learned going as far back up the: stream of history Is the time of Clovis of France. _ His Honor, in the midst of tins strife considerably damped the ardour ot the applicant who evinced such -on acquaintance with legal rachaelogy, by remarking that early English law pre scribed as the alternatives for a person who sued in forma paupens, and failed, that he should either pay the costs of the action or be whipped. Need it be added that the quotation of a-ncient authorities came to a very abrupt conclusion ?

* * » ♦** * * * Last Sunday night Bishop Cowie made passing reference, in the course of a sermon at St.° Sepulchre's Church, on "Home Religion," to Her Majesty the Queen, whom he eulogised as a "brilliant ex ample of a true mother." Inferentially the mothers of Auckland were told to copy the example of that august lady if they wished to rear their families properly and keep them free fromall taint of " larrikin ism." These sentiments will bo warmly approved by most people especially, at this Jubileo season; but there seems to be a "fallacy somewhere " in the good Bishop's reasoning, or else there is a deplorable popular error as to the char acter of Queen Victoria's sons, reared under the purest and holiest influences. It was only the other day that a preacher in this city denounced the Prince of Wales in no niild terms, and it requires no heaven-inspired individual to inform colo nists as to the foibles of another prince of the blood royal. Where is the fallacy ? Are.Albert Edward and his brothers the victims of vile calumny, or is the influence of a good mother of no avail ? Has Mr Bowie libelled our Gracious Queen as well as her alleged graceless son, or is the Bishop at fault in his interpretation of the laws of moral causation ?

" The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small." This quotation was brought .to :my recollection lately by the reported suicide in a Southern town of a man with whom I was formerly well acquainted. For live or six years he had been paying attention to a most beautiful and accomplished young lady. Ho was sufficiently well off to have married her, , biit somehow he didn't do it, and eventually the poor girl, pulled down by anxiety, died giving birth to a child. The young lady's mother, already stricken by a fatal malady, died too, on hearing of her daughter's fate, and they were buried in the same grave. The man who had wrought , this evil escaped tho condemnation that was justly his due,prihcipally through the influence of his brethren in a friendly society, but he could not escape tho Almighty Avenger. Remorse prayed on him day after day, and from being a man of joyous temperament he became a moody misanthrope, and ended hia wretched life with his own hand. . '

" Zamiel" has a profound admiration for the fair sex in general, and for the ladies of Auckland in particular. Ho believes that there are more protty, clever, well-dressed girls to the square mile in this town than in any other portion of the hemisphere; but at the same time he cannot follow them in all their little idiosyncrasies. One of the most ridiculous of the minor foibles of Auckland: ; girls is "parson-hunting." A good-looking, unmarried parson arrives, and he is immediately surrounded by a bevy of beauties, reminding one forcibly of Bunthorne and the lovelorn, asthetic maidens. This parson craze is only a de vcloperact of late years, i Unmarried Bap tists of the female persuasion started the fashion by "set-ting their caps" at the Reverend Tommy tn manxc. Baptism by immersion became so fashionable that it was quite on the cards that tJie Free Public Baths would require to be called into requisition to supply the demands of the congregation. Then the worthy old pastor of St. Andrew's Kirk employed a young Boanerges with raven locks and coal-black eyes to assist him in the work of his charge. With what result? Why, in two weeks there were sixty longing maidens at the Tues day night Bible Class, where formerly only four or fivo responded to the. muster roll, and Boanerges was idolised, worshipped, Borlin-Wooled, appliqued, cross-stitched, crewelled, slippered and cravatted until he had as many "props" as an Opera Com pany, and when he returned 'to .Scotland, leaving hundreds of: sad hearts here, he disposed of about 43 tons of fancy articles at a bazaar.

The latest manifestation of the craze has been on the part of our Anglican friends. A young sprig of nobility, having come to Auckland to set matters right between God and man, has hundreds of votaries from the giddy regions of fashionable life. Several Parnell belles, it is averred, have sworn solemnly not to dance again; and the number of young ladies who travelled to the North Shore on Sunday lately for the purpose of attending the , ministration of the new favourite, must have: convinced him that he had better depart speedily if he was obdurately resolved to carry away a whole heart. i ' .

Apropos of matters religious, I aim re minded of an amusing predicament that a suburban belle finds herself in just now. Brought up in the faith of the Church of England, she was i courted by a young Roman Catholic, arid after 3 ome time —doubtless after'much travail of spirit —she decided that mixed marriage was a curse, and became a member of the' Church of Rome. Then that provoking man was inconsiderate enough to die, and she is now being approached with matrimonial inten tions by a beau of Methodist'proclivities. She has laid 'aside her crucifix, and is now making readytfor another conversion;/

A correspondent; "W.j:S," writes as follows :—" 'Zamielj'.my dear boy, listen ! This is the Jubilee year, so what have you to say for, or against the suggestion that the City Council siiould. strike no rates for the remainder ofthe year ; the banks to reduce the rate of interest on overdrafts by one half ;"the savings banks to give double interest on'deposits ; the Government to remit'the Property Tax, and during the month of June the employers of labour to give double 'screw air round. Would this not make a great number.glad, and,be a perfect jubilee ?" What a' pity it is that everybody's idea can't be carried out, and thus have a proper Jubilee ! ,

'' Sleepy Hollow '' writes me thusly on the subject of a recent " shot" :—Dear Zamiel, —In your account of the racing deacon, you left out what I think is the cream of ; the joke, viz., that the deacon who made the discovery, and was , so highly scandalised at his brother deacon breeding and : keeping racehorses, is a prominent member of the local Ribbon Army, who this year grew a large quantity of bar ley. The goose of a man failed to see that it was as inconsistent for him to grow bar ley with the deliberate intention iof selling it to a brewer, as it was in his brother dea con to breed thoroughbreds and sell them to persons who use them for racing pur poses. ' , ■<-}.■ ' ! >/l - - .' ... 'f->jl '

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES.

May 10-Egmont Autumß.T-AcceptaHces and general entries, April 30. WT ,t r iM tuw 9-t—Waiieanui Steeplechases. — Entries, 7 Aprill2 * Wright ß - Auril 21; acceptances weights. May 10; acceptances and general June 7 " Steeplechase Meeting.- Entries, April 29; acceptances and general

Juno !o n - r HaVto*s' Bay Steep'echase Meeting.- Bntries. May 17 ; general entne3, June 14; acceptances, June 21. „»;„-„ July 28 - Grand National St'cplecnase.— 7 Entries! June2<; weights July 5; accept ances, July 18 ■

TO CORRESPONDENTS

Parnkll -The weights for the New Zealand Cup are due on the Ist of July. A.T.-Matador is nominated for the A.J. G. Derby, but he is not engaged In the V.K.U Derby.

TURF GOSSIP.

[By Hifpona.]

By the 8.8. Rotomahana which arrived on Tuesday night, Major George and Mr W. Adams were passengers. In the course of a conversation I had one day during the week with the last-named, he expressed to me as his opinion 'that it will not be. long ere the totalisator is worked on the leading courses of Flemington and Randwick.

During his lengthy visit,Mr Adams had con versations with the leading magnates of the Victoria Racing Club and Australian Jockey Club, and quite a number wero strongly in favour of introducing the machine, and thought a bill should be passed through Parliament making it legal. Mr Adams feels convinced that, once the officials and public saw the instrument in. work, they would have it on every convincing ground throughout Australia. Speaking of Abercorn, Mr Adams thinks that Maxim, Niagara, and Bangle are each superior to the colt mentioned, but the crack juvenile of Australia ho opines is Matador, and he describes him as one of the finest young sters of his age that he has clapped eyes on. About a month ago Mr Adams inter-, viewed Trenton at Ike JToulsham's stable at Caulfiold, but at that time he was a perfect wreck. The son of Musket had just.a few days previously been -severely blistered on each of his legs, so that he' was seen at the very worst time. Mr Adams did not let the frass grow under his feet during the time c was absent from Auckland, for he inspected till of the leading stables and their occupants besides doing the numerous "eights." Mitrailleuse has been left in charge of Kelso, the Sydney trainer, and her next engagements are the Queen's Birthday Clip and Royal Stakes, to' be decided at Randwick on Queen's Birth day.

By the time these lines have appeared in print, Nelson will be in Christchurch, and in the hands of his old trainer, E. Cutts. W. Brown had charge of Nelson on the passage across'from Sydney. . ~

The accounts in with the Autumn Meeting of the Auckland Racing Club are not yet complete, but I am'glad to be able to state.thab t there will be. a profit over the gathering.

A prominent Christchurch horse-owner has beon nibbling after the rising two-yoar old colt by Musket—Albatt-oss, owned by Mr W. Somerville, The price, however, was not considered sufficient, and iio deal has been effected. This colt is a well-grown and very shapely fellow, and if hie looks do not belie him, he should develop into a race horse.

Betting has already commenced An the South on the next New Zealand Cup and Derby. For the Cup, Maxim, Sextant and Lochiel are most in favour among backers, while Maxim and Sextant dispute favouritism for tho Derby at lOOs to 20 (taken). ■ . . .

The Takapuna Jockey Club drew up the following programme during the week for their Winter Meeting on Queen's Birth day :—Selling Steeplechase, of -35 soy., twice round; Selling Race, of 30 soy., miles; Handicap Hurdles, of 45 soy., 2 miles ; Birthday Handicap, of 75 : sow, mile; Novel Race; "30 soy., 1 mile; Handicap Steeplechase, of 75 soy., 3 miles ; Victoria Handicap, of 40 soy., 1 mile. j

. There is no doubt about Chaafe's ability in educating juveniles, and we have an exemplification in the rising two-year-old colt Rataplan (Nelson's hair brother), who occupies a box in the veteran's stables.- ■ The colt has already been broken in, and a few days ago Chaafe had him in town with a light boy on his back. Those who saw Rataplan sold in January last would not recognise him.;now he has so improved. : , • ;

I learn from , Sydney this'week that the big Jubilee race of the Rose Hill Club, an nounced to be run in January next, will not come off. Mr John Bennett, the secretary, thus explains the causei in a letter to .the daily papers:—l much regret having to notify the racing public that the Great Cen terinial Stakes, of 5,000 soys., advertised by the Rose Hill Racing Club, will have to fall through. This race was announced in con nection with the, intention of the then Go vernment to have a national celebration in the first month of the Centennial Year, which it was anticipated would attract to Sydney an immense number of'visitors. Nothing having been done in that way by the past or present Cabinets, and Melbourne having been allowed to lead the van with a National Exhibition, the Rose . Hill pro prietary do not feel justified in : taking the risk of so large a prize. ' : '

The nominations for the Derby and newly-inaugurated Two-year-old Stakes of ;the Wanganui Jockey Club are most; satis factory, there being 63 in the Derby and 41 in the juvenile; race. I append the nom inations of Auckland owners for the Derby:— . ,: ...,, . ; i ■ i

Mr J Kean's br f Pearl Shell, oy Musket- Pearl Ash ; , ■ .: : •. ...-,,:, ... . ; .

Mr J Kean'a be Braomaer, by Musket— Erycina . Mr W Walters* b' c by Torpedo -Yatterina. ' Mr w .Walters' br c by Hippoeampus (Jrand Duchess . i Mr W Walters' br c Ingoiriar-Fanny Fisher ™ r , W , Wttlter 3' fby "'■ \ Mr W Walters' b f by Ingomar-Hipporina _Mr _.W Walters' c f by Leolinus-Venus Transit

Mr vv Walters' blk f by Hippocampus - Mr Jno Chaafes br o Tartar, by Musket bteppe ■ ■ ' ,;ji '-, ~.;; , ... Mr Jno Chaaf c's cI c Rataplan, . by, Leolinus— My Idea

Mr E Mitclielson's f, by Musket -A'talanta. Mr B Mitchoison's eh c by Leolinus-Xaiad Mr J, Bi Williamson's Wk or b-f by The Dauphin-Jennie. ) , Mr Somerville's br c by Musket -Albatross Mr Somervillo's br f by Musket-Ouida; ' < Wγ P J Buxton'sMan Friday,, by. Robinson Crusoe—Charity. ! u ~..;.,,,,,,_.■, I gather from "Mazeppa's" notes that up to the present, time Spade: Guinea has started m 34 races, of. which she has won 12, ran 6 seconds, and>occupied : third place 5 times, while: on* 11; times she hasten un placed. The mare's net winnings ; in stakes tot up to but out of this ; sum no less than £2,996 has been won: this season.

. • ,Mr P. Butler's yearling colt by Musket— Tres Deuce' that he purchased'at- Sylvia Park in January-last, met with" a" "slight mishap some few days back. His owner had the breaking-in tackle on him, when he broke away, and charging a fenbe,-.sustained a nasty cut about the head and other injuries' Mr Butler's bad luck, is proverbial, and ii has had the effect of drawing forth the following paragraph from ; " Mazeppa's" pen : Patsy Butler must have killed a cat, or said bad words in a churchyard, or in some other manner offended the deity who presides over'horse-racing, for his ill-luck seems to follow him up in all sorts of ways. Talebearer went amiss arid was disposed of ; Artillery hurt his foot just on Mie eye of an important race in which he was engaged ; Titbit burst a blood-vessel in the head less than a week ago—these are a few of the latest slings and arrows of outrageous for tune that Mr Butler has been the victim of. But his worst stroke of : bad luck, perhaps, was in selling The Shah. This animal was a very bad "bargain while in Mr Butler's possession, and a twelvemonth ago,, when he won a Selling Hack Race a<; Wellington, he was allowed to fall to Mr Sa,unders's bid of £21. Since then the half brother to La Rose has kept'on winning, and has gradually mounted up in the liandicappers' estimation until we find him giving* a stone to-such a; flyer as Rumour. And is this not vindictive treatment when we find him runnings rnile and-a-half, with 9stup, in 2.415. The Shah has altogether won 13 races for 1 Mr Saun devs, and his winnings in stakes come to £71*. -■■ ' ■" ■ " <\ ! -' w '{ r f' v )-'

Ih a letter , received this week from Messrs Yuille and Co., the 'Melbourne' auctioneers, they state that Mr Cooper is greatly pleased with Niagara. Foulsham has the Golt located aMJaulfield. , " - •

The Napier Park Racing ,Club- are beautifying their ground so that , .it will ( offer inducements to others to visit the meetings than those who go merely to speculate. The club have just completed the excavations for a Jake in the centre of their ground, and this is to, be planted round and about with shrubs, &c. , •

At the recent thoroughbred salee in Syd ney, I notice that a yearling brother to Sou-wester was: knocked down to a Mr Kelly for 145 guineas, while a full sister; to Mr 1). O'Brien's Rubina found a purchaser mMr D. Cooper at :90 guineas. ; '

A Sydney journal states that,-taken right through, the Autumri' Meeting of. the A:J.C. has resulted in a loss of nearly £15,000 to the betting ring. ■ The sum men tioned, however, has not found its wa,y into the pockets of the general publiq, who speculate a few pounds on the'results of the races, but into the ; coffers of the hbrse- owners, through the medium dftke'book makers.

Cannon's win in the Helensville Maiden Plate is the first race, he has placed to his credit during the two seasons he has been racing. ■ •

I When this season's Australian '■ racing; statistics come ,to be ■ compiled,! iti will be seen that once ; more does ,the Hon. James White stand out far above all others'as" the ■biggest ■winner (in stakes).-' 'At'"present the amount scored by the representatives; of the blue and white banner since .the commencement of ; the, season is the: very flattering, one of £15,040 13s, to {which,, of course, that equine wonder, Tjidenb ; con tributes • the lion's share andihe alone" is •responsible for £7,471 165. ; Trident's; total for, his 13> winning races is J8,445,,35 r which is a bigger one than, either.;Malua/,or. Commotion was,credited ; with throughout their whole career. The, former, boasted of £7,435 when .he retired, ;and' Commotion was credited withi£7,700.,,. : < , : , ; .s >..,-.,..■,•> i

If there is one racing nian (says-a Sydney. paper) more than another in-the colonies - to-day with whom the fickle goddess deals unkindly , , it .is .the . present proprietor of Warwick Farm, Mr William. Forrester, for, notwithstanding that he has several'times seen his colours earned home first 'in big races, .they had! soioften been " pipped " for, large stakes that the good done- by the others ftas been more than counterbalanced.- At the commencement of his career he met with several strong reversesi that,'.would have prevented a lesSi ardent lover: of: the " game "from'continuing, Moselle's defeat by Charon in the A. J.C. Derby, a head only separating them, was a.:sore blow/to the. owner of the ; crimson ! body, white sleeves and cap, as the prize was-ivgood one and a heavy "outside"istake.wasattached to it, and although, she " got home.',' afterwards in the >St. Leger, the .win did -not; recom ,pense her owner.! Gipsy .Cooper ■ was another of Mr .Forrester's, horses: which' .was unlucky enough to run several desperate seconds, and this ,will be well understood, when it is read that in each, of the following races the slippery black ;i was only beaten a, head : —A. J. C- Champagne Stakes 1 and Sires' Produce Stakes,, Hawkesbury Handicap and V.R.C, Sires' "Produce Stakes, and he was also third" in-the Caul fiold Cup. Another "good second," as some delight to call it, was Colima's in the Bathurst Cup, besides which 'Frisco 1 only justlanded home in front of'Kitawa'in 1 the Sydney Cup. 'Among other'horses' 1 Mr Forrester has been interested in when tney trod closely on the winners' heels were Brown arid' Rose, second , in' Tattersall's Cup and , -third 'each m'.'Wagga'-pup and Metropolitan Stakes ; ditto; in Summer Cup with Kitawa, and in the -Anniversary; Han dicap with Minerva, -besides-being second in the Foal Stakes with Warwick. ,Such a list is a series of reverses hot often met with; by one man, and Mr Forrester's case;is another illustration that" popularity and good fortune do not necessarily go together.

The, yearling qqlt by Apremonfc^Water sprite recently purchased;from the,Christ church Middle. Park: Stud, Company jby Mr A. R. Blackwood, of Melbourne, has ;be,en shipped to .the Victorian; capital. • ,n •■

Out of the 24 events that were decided at the 'A. J;G.; Auttiriin.' Meeting, 1 nine  appropriated by blie'Hoh.Jas. White, 0 three with Trident, 1 two with Abercorn, ; and one each with Aberdeen, Plutarch, ,'liaVai : and Perfume. ; The'Hori. W. A; Long placed 1 three events to his. credit 1 , Honeydew, Abner and Exbahk having earned his /colours to the front; Mr T. Sampson had an equal number, 1 securedto hirii by Matador' (two) and 'Frisco. ; :--> :, '»i n-W_as'> jilyia

Myall King has been, purchased,'. E", Weeks for 460 guineas and will' Shortly be shipped to India.. ' ■'' ; ' '' 'V', , ;J - . '" ';

Talking of equine celebrities/.(says! a .Napier scribe), is it, not somewhat, remark able that we have notagoodentire facing ? Onr.inares are Waitirijijßivulet, ,■Mystery, , Faa-dingale, and Tigredia', which, with per haps the exception of Mystery, are class, while the three S.'s—Silence, Soudan, and Salisbury—are-geldings ; but a really first-class horse I cannot at this moment re call, for Trickster, who ■has-gohe* to ; the stud, must be; considered; i onlya moderate. ■I do not think thesame thing.could be said of any district which possesses >the; same number, of; valuable i racers: that; Hawke.'s Bay.does. Among the.two.year-olds- Lady Florin, Meteor, Whisper,' : ;.Jav'lin,-and Lenora are all of the gentler sex,».-.• I give 1 the above as a curiosity.:" ■ . ■;' . j,. ■

• At the finish of, the' recent Steeplechase at Raridwick, Mason; the , rider Of Cymbal,: was called before the committee, and fined £5, for having' continued ; in ■ the race after his horse had missed one of the jumps'. l qsi CfO .ifli 'fi 'ft'f-r ,/.:. ■.:■; ..:;•■■.-;• oi S;irfjl'.'ino I

Marmion, the winner of tonsT^ purchased by MrMartfri W& "" C He is a highly, bred bow from Lucy, Longbow feiilMS Tim Whiffier'son |S wffilS the fastest horses on , - the iljf'lC' twenty years ago. Marmion wT\ Mr Thomas O'Brien, atcSkl Currawong copper mines. Wh year'old he was sold for a\n<s !Z a S K With the addition that C/JH it by the V,R.C J .it is exS >ii value of the Melbourne Can «? ** h be close upon £4,000. l ' 8 ***; At the recent A. J.C. Autum n V Chester topped the list of sires ten - with five wins; Robinson minster and Grandmaster had th * Grand Flaneur two, including Cup ; while Exminster; Tapley, EirSfc -King, 'Albania, and Captiyator eafek-tad* turn. '. .Mr A. yon Doussa, Adelaide lately at the Police Court, on* a cP^ haying broken the Gaining: Actbymgl! , money in a totalisator at paringa races, and was niuictecl ia and costs. The charge, was l.tM the 16th clause of the Act, by .',' f? offender can be fined in any sum lUp - , or'sentenced to a term.of impiisonniori ■ exooeduig'six montlis. ,-,. -< } •■!&!& Mr Pi Baldwin, the iA.meric^ l "J horse driver and trainer, has. privately the by \Yild Oats'from. *Miss Saunterer out of Dulcimer, ! byl from Teddingtonia by Teddingtonj»; an will shortly be sent;to'.\moricai''Biv At the Canterbury Autumn Meeting leading winning sires £5.51; St. George, -£541; ; l&f;sjsH £443 13s ; Robinson Crusoe," ;: t3sfi ■'%,, L6up,'£lßs os ; and Anter^s,'fet^-iji'j Mr Fodor, . 'the ChiistcliurdfJfaS is now engagedj Tasman, which will forni the illlpH' an almanac to be issued QK next year. ~.Mi\.,H. Oxenham . has jnuj...,,,. yictorian ~ mare Straight ;£>hofc, .niinstei , ; .Bullseye. ■ . *' At the meeting of the on'EastSr Monday - a to Dun! op (by ■ Neckefsgat ; formerly occupied a box in Mr ; t?,j Dakui's establishment; • -vrpn' , tKft*l& Platej of ■■' half-a-mile; in 52sec, and fj Trial' Stakes, 1 the 'same , distant; ■-. v~ ssec. / The Australian. 'chaser Earigaito wasj severely injured in. 'the A.J.C; Steeplechase that he had to'be 'dcstrovst The libel action, Mr Robert Peck agkj the .'."'Bat ",new.-,pa.per. ended i:i promise.., The and, through ,his.''.counsel ari,,ample apology ,in the the libel ajjpeared,. and ,pay ; .,%tti|SpS in, the case. The prosecutor,accepfei'Ji offer, and the case was brought toa pigj xapid conclusion. .. ,; r ' , ,".':•;.£: There died, or rather.iwaadestroydla Melbourne :the iothen.day a;V6ryreirui ablo pony; named ; Frolic,. Mr C. .Atkins. He:was.'3s constant follower of the Melbfcnifee Hcss for eight seasons,/ and is said tohavoSa in work continually up;i.toiwitffiiT|| ; months of his ; death. A few weeks ia he, atteuipted, to jump rather, a high tea and:! injured himself so; severely that ada of priissic acid was called,in toeiia sufferings.: ■-. i_J,. f .- ,",.■ -~■■, .W& ■: Of the 22 A:J.C.'Plates competedfei Randwick,no;less than fourteen haveterli ■won by 'three-year-olds,- •year-olds/'four times 'by five-ycahlHßfaSl twice <by >an -aged : horse-^Tim" 'Jo&; but was never carried off by a six-year <M. The fact that the thres L mile race-.' ".2 autumn has been won eight years'msiECS sion by three-year-olds dearly prows tk the weights: for " three-year-olds for age three-mile races'require readji ing. < >• 'j f , ?7 The most successful jockey at the Auta Meeting of .the A.J.C. ; was'T. Balisjli placed half a dozen wins to hispredifi^ A l-ace was run recently at : two ponies,-an English one,and;ln Ani for £1,000, over a mile and a-lialf, andnn withstanding that the former concha opponent a stone he.-w,on v .,pas]ljp|K match arose out of l a discussion relative, 1 ' the" respective merits of EngUsH.|oriM|ii Arabs.; f.,'i" hi > A horse ibelanging to>Mr .George .QW of. Ginnett's Circus, 'recently. displa|tiTei; traordinary jumping labilities! at.B&iSi England. The horse is a,bag. seven pi old, standing a shad© over I* handßi& The•'usual cireus'tricks-were , perlftw without a mistake, and then theTiors?** put'at sft'6in higk-'-'fiThetrißg : only 50ft in diameter/ a.nd left Utfl? | off, 1 but despite this the bar was splendid style, arid ari additional*6m*™ no difference to.the flyer. s •-Not'bdritenjw this,,. Mr Ginnett ■.'. vacated!, the : ' saddji» placed a bar 7ft fforn-the , gro^ n dj ! horse.passed 1 over withbilt ! touching..^&,

The Horse-Power of a Whaler Tail.

Sih William'-TprfiJfieSß,. the eminent, 'fa fessor. of Anatomy in: the Edinburgh, recently delivered a'^eptM • the inembere of of that , city on Ht JWKales, ;s andvßTdbitsi"'in the &>urs'o ; .ofWw|§& ferred to"a point of considerable; engineers, "" which- T was exerted by the tail of alarge J vhale.-,« Warding the length r of;;full-g%n*r« rofessor ; Turner- remarked 1 'that Jn<Uß[S poise was 4ft or sft lorig, ; wfiereWtho ww land right Whale wais , 'from' 50jt l ; A f long ;: and he said that" the '£««* £S' ! whale, which' frequently'visited the BpQ? • sea's, Reached the length of M feet, orevta ■'more. l An "animal of. the'latter -sortjw ! at Longniddry some: After speaking at some length on the W f 'tore of whales the , lecturermade.Bon«|| ■marks oii the 'rate of speedf W^ W ' traveUed. It had been estimated, W»* that ''the' Greenland 'whale cpulfrattein • speed of nine or ten miles an hour, ana.[|. the' speed: In all : probability whale could propel itself thrbugH;|ee= at the rate of ' twelve miles ari!noir y^.. the sperm whale was said to be f capaD (i driving itself- along at the^'samdiracv, ; speed. He had 'asked Mr John'HenW| of Glasgow, the weU-know-buUdeMWl Anchor liners,''to .assist: : h*imin, arn^ i the horse-power which •^% ( i|i| by one of these-great whales so as %msks a speed of twelve an to<.WSi the case-of the Lorigniddfy *W«t» [j him.- ■■ It ; was 80ft| long;,weigh^!^ tons, 'and had a tail 18ft to ; the extreme ends of its , flanges; M£ data '¥r ;j Henderson, whale of the dimensions'mentip,nea, to' ; attaiii a speed of would require to exercise a of 145 horse-power. '; HOW TO GET^LLl'^hi^^S' in three Vwords-Take Bitters! Eea'a; , '■~;' :..,;','•<« ?sf-'-? 3 *'tr

ctat? qattt"RDAY. APRIL 30, 1887. THEf' AUCKIA3S T P:SfrVEK3ftG STAB, SA-l ÜB.ua x,

2