numbers; The anaesthetist

Today is the 7th of September - and we have very little space for curious facts about the number seven. But there is enough for the following:

Seven is:

The age of which Chopin wrote his first Polonaise;

The average weight in grams of a human eyeball;

The average length in feet of a blue whale's penis;

The percentage of methane in a fart;

The Deadly Sins; Ages of Man; Virtues; Hills of Rome; Dwarfs encountered by SnowWhite; Voyages of Sinbad.

Competition: Back to our "26 L of the A" (Letters of the Alphabet) format with aset of five primary teasers:

1 A B

1 W T

1 H T

1 N S

1 M B

Three Chambers Thesaurus prizes will be awarded to correct answers received by 19 September. Entries to: Pastimes, The Independent, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5DL.

10 August answers: 3 Bowls of Porridge that Goldilocks Tasted; 3 Fiddlers that Old King Cole Called For; 3 Chambers Dictionary Prizes for Correct Answers; 3 Balls in a Pawnbroker's Sign; 3 Cheers (Hip Hip Hooray, Hip Hip Hooray, Hip Hip Hooray).

Winners: Mrs M Atchison, R Woods, Miss JW White.

17 August answers: We asked for a number whose letter values, when spelt out, add to the number itself. The possible answers are 251 and 259. Winners: Joy Himsworth, MR Hirst, Mrs JR Goodall.