Boer war commemorated

The service held yesterday afternoon on the Oval to commemorate the Peace of Vereeniging was largely attended. There were about 60 South African veterans, about a dozen of those who had participated in the Māori war, and the executive of the Returned Soldiers’ Association present, and the public turned out in large numbers. Musical was provided by the First Battalion Otago Regimental Band. A hymn having been sung, Major Bell read a portion of the Scriptures, and the Rev Dr Merrington offered a prayer. The Regimental Band rendered the Dead March from ‘‘Saul,’’ after which the ‘‘Last Post’’ was sounded by Sergeant-major E. Hunter. A second hymn was sung, and the ‘‘Reveille’’ was sounded by Sergeant-major Hunter. The service was simple, but very impressive, and lasted for about an hour.

Is elusive New Zealand mammal . . .

The existence of species of the otter tribe in Otago and Southland was discussed at a meeting of the Naturalists’ Field Club on Monday last.

Captain Cook, in the journal of his second voyage, described an animal seen in Dusky Sound, and the description tallies with that of more recent observers. A R. Wallace, in his book ‘‘Island Life,’’ mentions the existence of a ‘‘small otter-like animal’’ in the South Island. Hoch’s letter in one of his journals, mentions an animal, the native name of which he says is ‘‘Waitoteke’’. 

The late Geo. Howell, of Riverton, who saw a lot of country in the early days, said the Māoris caught and ate these animals, and that on one occasion, when he accompanied a Māori eeling expedition, he ate a portion of a waitoteke about 1840 in the vicinity of Riverton. 

Of late years many reports of a strange animal have circulated throughout Southland, and a few of the most reliable of these are given here. The late Mrs J.F. Gravey. at Glade House, along with her son Cyril, saw a ‘‘stranger’’ swimming in a backwater of the Clinton River. About 1913, Mr Geo. Black, of Orepuki, reported that his son had shot a brown animal with a bushy 

tail near the Cabinet River, somewhere west of the Waiau. 

About 1916 track hands reported seeing something like a small dog swimming in Lake Ada. About 10 years ago, Mr A.E. Tapper had an indistinct view of an animal swimming in the Waikiroi Stream, and found a burrow leading into the bank.

 The latest observer is Mr G.I. Moffet, of Invercargill at Boyd’s Hut, up the Eglinton River — an animal about the size of a rat and of a dark colour.  Mr McHardy, of Te Anau Downs Station, in the same vicinity in company with Mr Cecil Beer saw an animal about the size of a rabbit, and mouse-coloured, jump out of the river on to the bank.

 A skull has been found in the vicinity of Clifden which may throw some light on the matter.

 . . . otter nonsense?

 Reports that an otter has been seen in New Zealand at different times were discredited by Professor A. Wall when he gave an address to the Canterbury Philosophical Institute the other night. He said the latest report as that it had been seen in the Rakaia River. He could not believe in the New Zealand otter. Most of the records, he thought, originated in people seeing 

the larger kind of stoats and polecats; in other cases, shags and wekas may have given rise to the reports. Mr R.M. Laing said that it was very unlikely that any species of otter ever existed in New Zealand.  — ODT, 7.6.1926