' Calif ornian quail. are thriving in the^ : neighborhood of.Greymouth^. -•■*-„,/.• ' ;f Shareholders iii the Natibn^iMsurance- ' Company are informed that scrip/" is now ready for distrabjtitibpp\- .^ •"'.*' --' Those who liavenbt received paper are requested to apply foihg* free-, by post, to Mr Woodwar^':enjsw!fecor. ;> • Mr Martin has so far rec^\^ed from the effects of his. recent accidfen%that he has been removed to his town residence. The flax mill of D. and R. M'Lean, Wyndham, Mataura, value £700, has been destroyed by fire. "- : r The dramatic version of Mr Farjeori's " Grif," produced at Dunedin, ia by Mr Suter. Most of the scenery is new. Another attempt to publish a New Zealand " Bradshaw" is to be made-^fchia time in Dunedin. • _[■■[. .'.;* The Claus-Rekel concerts in 'Dun&ejin. have been interrupted by Mdlle 'Claw having one of her hands accidentally in jured. • ■■•_••. ;. - The number of immigrants, nominated by friends in Westland is increasing. My Wylde, one agent) v.-has received sixty applications in a mojkfcfr. ;. .T; i A man named Oliver. Pilcher died-sud denly at the 'Hutfrvron Saturday. The cause of death was supposed to be heart disease. The ship Navvie sailed from London in the course of January, with three hun dred immigrants on board, bound for the Bluff. • " Some splendid specimens of gold bearing quartz have been brought (to Westport from a new claim at the Moki hinui. The settling for the Wellington Jockey Club races takes place at the Empire Hotel, at 8 o'clock 1 this evening, whenthe stakes will be paid over to the several winners. The contest for the seat in the Nelson ! Council, vacant by the resignation of Mr Frank Guinness, is likely to be a close one,. there being already four well-known candidates in the field. ,  A Christchurch paper reported that j thistle-down was so plentiful in that town on the 18th, that it occasionally resembled a fall of snow. The south wind carried it up from the Peninsula. v; The following acceptances have been received for the Greymouth Jockey Club Handicap, for I7ssovs, to be run on the 17th instant :— Gossip, Lacenfeed, Malice, and Yatterina. •? _ It may be interesting at the present moment to note the ages of the rival political leaders in England. 