Currently topping the - - - - charts is the Sars virus, war in Iraq and - - - - more populist subjects such - - - - as David Beckham and pop singer Avril Lavigne.

Now MSN, Microsoft's net portal, has compiled a list of the - - - - least popular search terms that only a - - - - handful of people, in some cases only one, have looked - - - - for .

The list provides a slightly unsettling insight - - - - into the lives of a few British web users who are - - - - seeking information on some very esoteric - - - - subjects .

Odd hobby

At - - - - the top of the list is the phrase "walking with woodlice" which sounds strange but is a real site run - - - - by Britain's Natural History Museum.

It perhaps - - - - draws some of its inspiration from the BBC's series - - - - of programmes that give the viewer a new - - - - view of life during the heyday of the dinosaurs, cavemen and - - - - other ancient beasts.

The list of least searched for terms - - - - reveals the curious hobbies of some Britons, with people looking - - - - for rules to play croquet in - - - - the nude or for fellow black pudding flingers.

Novel hobbies, - - - - such as making walking sticks or hedgehog houses, seem to effect some searches.

Others seem to be prompted - - - - by a particular event.

The person looking - - - - for information on "canary euthanasia" may have suffered a domestic tragedy and was looking for a humane way to help a pet depart - - - - this world.

Another unforeseen incident could have - - - - made someone search for guidance on the best way - - - - to clean their crystal ball.

And - - - - whoever was looking for information about ham sandwich digestion may have been bored while eating - - - - their lunch.

- - - - Some of the other rare searches are simply bizarre.

Quite what those looking - - - - for "virtual geese honking" or "origami for emus" actually wanted help with - - - - is hard to guess.

" - - - - Not everyone is into hard news, hot celebrities and soap gossip," - - - - said Robert McInnery, MSN search marketing manager.