KEW SOUTH WALES. 239 



is soft, and prettily shaded from black to silver 

 grey. It burrows in the banks of rivers. It 

 is very shy, and dives at the least alarm, and, 

 like the duck, is web-footed. These animals 

 are said to lay eggs which are hatched as soon 

 as they are laid, and that the young are nour- 

 ished with milk, which oozes through the fur 

 from the chest of the female; but no teats 

 have been discovered. It swims on the surface 

 of the water, catching flies and other insects, 

 and sometimes it plunges its beak into the mud 

 like a duck. 



Amongst many curious birds the black swan 

 should not be omitted. In the time of Ovid, 

 who wrote during the prosperity of the Roman 

 Empire, a black swan was supposed not to 

 exist. It has, however, of late years been in- 

 troduced into this country from Australia. In 

 some parts of the world there are black eagles ; 

 but in Australia there is a white eagle to be 

 found. 



Among the curses which an Australian farmer 

 has to encounter is the dingo, or wild dog of 

 the country. They hunt in packs, and break 

 into a place where sheep are shut up for the 

 night, and kill many of them indeed, many 



