168 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



swags are laid down and a fire lit, at which the old men remain. 

 The boys are then taken away on the pretence of accompanying 

 the men hunting, and one or more of the kooringal go ahead 

 unseen by the boys, in order to see where the Beegay are. On 

 sighting the latter and exchanging signals that all is ready, the 

 kooringal scouts return and inform their comrades. The boys 

 ( Wundhamurrin) are placed sitting on the ground in a row with 

 their heads down, and their backs towards the direction from 

 which the Beegav are to approach. The kooringal are standing 

 in a row behind the boys. The guardians then tell them to 

 listen, that Dhurramoolun is coming to burn them. The Beegay, 

 painted with white stripes, are by this time quite near, carrying 

 in the right hand a boomerang, and in the left a smoking stick. 

 One of them raises a low continuous whistle, on hearing which 

 the guardians tell the boys to get up and run back to the place 

 where they left their swags, looking only at the ground in front 

 of them. The boys then run as hard as they can in company 

 with the guardians for about 200 yards, when the guardians 

 command them to lie face downwards on the ground with their 

 hands by their sides for a minute or two. They are then ordered 

 to get up and run again. These spells of running and resting 

 are continued until the temporary camp is reached, when the 

 boys fall face downwards on rugs ready spread for them. The 

 whistling of the Beegay has been heard close behind them all the 

 way. The i*eason for making the boys lie down at intervals is 

 to prevent their getting too excited and frightened, and becoming 

 unmanageable, and also to enable the Beegay to keep pace with 

 them. As soon as the boys lie down the old men, who remained 

 there, say, "We will now give you a drink before you are burnt." 

 After this some of the men will clap their hands whilst others 

 take fire-sticks and touch the boys on the legs to make them 

 believe that Dhurramoolun is commencing to burn them. The 

 kooringal say, " Don't be in a hurry to burn the boys ! go 

 away !" The fathers of the novices are there, and pretend to be 

 in great grief, lamenting and hitting themselves on the head ; 

 the boys are in a great state of fear, but do not attempt to move. 

 During this time the Beegay are renewing their fire-sticks, in 

 order that they may make a good smoke. Then the boys are 

 helped to their feet and are placed standing in a row, the fathers 



