A four-roomed house, owned and occupied by James M'Caughan, a saddler, was de stroyed by fire at Green Island at one o'clock to-day. The fire is supposed to have been caused by the children being left alone in the house. The insurances are not yet known. The state of parties in Parliament has not been affected by the Maori election. As in the last Parliament, two of the Maori re presentatives support the Government and two the Opposition. Henare Kaihu, who was returned for the Western Maori district by a large majority over the former member, Ropata Te Ao, and eleven other candidates, is very strongly averse to the Government policy. The ' English Illustrated Magazine' pub lishes an article on the migration of the godwit, or kuaka, from New Zealand to Siberia. We do not suppose that many of our readers were aware that this bird, which is common on all the coasts of the North Island during the summer, flies away in the winter months and breeds in the extreme north of Siberia. It is not many years ago since the fact was discovered, but it is now ascertained without doubt, and is fully dealt with by Sir W. Buller in his great work on the birds of New Zealand. It is singular that the kuaka, if it wants a cold country to breed in, should not go to the Antarctic regions, but wings its long flight to near the North Pole, crossing the Equator and traversing the tropical regions of Asia.
