At tho annual meeting of ratepayers of tho Kereru and Aorangi district, the fol lowing wardens were elected to form the District Board : — Captain M'Lean, and Messrs John Mason, 11. A. Duff, James Lyon, Arthur Harding, John Anderson, and Archibald M'Lean. The new board then met arid elected Mr Archibald M'Lean as chairman for the current year; An entertainment is announced to take place this evening in the school-room, Shakespeare-road, in aid of St. Joseph's Monastery. Mr Newman, of Onga Onga, lias for warded to the Waipawa Mail a bird of peculiar plumage". It has bedri examined by a number of local sportsmen and orni thologists, and the majority are inclined to the opinion that the bird is a cross between a wild and a tame pigeon. One gentleman, however, not unversed in such matters, thinks that it is a cross between tho game fowl and the domestic pigeon, and another says between the latter and the ka-ka. At any rate, the bird appears to be an entire stranger to all who have examined it. An ardent sportsman informs us tliat he had heard of a bird with peculiar plumage being seen in the direction of Onga Onga, but the one at the Mail office appears to be the first brought down by the gun. Wo learn frdui the Times that Mr Ormond has given notice to ask the Government whether certain damage had not been done to the property of private individuals near the Napier-Kopua rail way, through the sparks escaping from the engine ? and whether it is tho inten tion of the Government to afford any relief to the sufferers ? Mr George M'Lean made a funny at tempt at a quotation in tlie House last week. He wanted to score a point against tho Ministry, and to that end re sorted to tho old sarcasm :

The devil was hiek — the devil a monk would be j The devil was well — the devil s monk , was he \ but he brought it out this-wise, accord ing to tlio Chronicle :— " Tho devil was sick — Tho monk, a devil was he. The monk got well — the devil a moke was he." This curious mixture "brought down the House," and with a dim con sciousness that he had wandered wrong somehow, the member for Waikouaiti joined in the laugh. 