78 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA: 



cooked are very palatable and highly nutritious, judging 

 from the condition of the birds tliat feed on them. The 

 mode of cooking adojited by the blacks is primitive, but 

 effective. ( )ur two niggers provided themselves with 

 bags, which were filled with l)ugongs by simply opening 

 the bag and sweeping thousands of moths into it with 

 their hands. These bags well filled were brought down to 

 our camp at the foot of the mountain, a fire was made, and 

 kept up with sticks which burn to a clear white ash, and, 

 when a good heap of white ashes was prepared, a hole was 

 raked in the heap with a stick, the moths tumbled in out 

 of the bag, and the ashes heaped round them, and stirred 

 about with the sticks for several minutes, and when the 

 experienced cook reckoned the cooking was complete the 

 mixture of the ashes and moths was well scattered about 

 to cool and stop further cooking ; when cool enough to 

 handle, the moths' bodies — wings and legs pretty well 

 singed off — were gathered up, ashes and all, and cleaned 

 by simply pouring from one hand to another, and blowing 

 on the falling mixture, by which means the moths' bodies 

 were almost cleaned of ashes, and a little further delicate 

 manipulation by gently rubbing the moths on the leg of 

 the trousers completed the cleaning process, when the 

 delicious moths were eagerly eaten." 



With regard to the identity of the bugong with the 

 species which has visited the coast district in immense 

 numbers, Mr. OUitf says that he is in a position to state 

 definitely that there is not a doubt on the subject. 

 Specimens obtained at Mount Kosciusko agree in every 

 respect with the moth which appeared in such vast num- 

 bers in Sydney and elsewhere in October, 1889, and with 

 specimens obtained in 1867 during a similar visitation. 



Prevention and Remedies. 



In devising means for preventing the grubs of most of 

 these common noctuid moths, the economy of which, as 

 I have previously remarked, are often identical, from 

 attacking plants, it must be remembered that the first step 



