THE KANGAROO. 7 



and it is a curious fact that dogs never appear to thrive 

 on kangaroo, especially if they eat it raw, although 

 they soon get fat on opossum. "VYe used to make a good 

 soup of the heads whenever we could get vegetables, 

 which are not always at hand in the bush. My general 

 mode of bush cooking was simple and expeditious. Just 

 cut off a steak from any fleshy part, and throw it on the 

 ashes to grill ; and I always fancied a kangaroo-steak or 

 even a bird, used to taste better and more juicy when 

 dressed this " lazy bed " fashion, than in any other way. 

 Some persons seem to think that there is no nourish- 

 ment at all in the meat, and there is a great prejudice in 

 the bush against it. This is a " vulgar error." My old 

 mate and myself lived upon it when in the forest, and I 

 know we did our work as well as any two shooters. 

 Perhaps at times we might have preferred a beef-steak ; 

 but as we got the kangaroo for nothing, we just used it 

 and made no invidious comparisons. " Spare the damper 

 but pitch into the kangaroo, lads ! " used to be our bush, 

 motto when flour was scarce. The young bucks and 

 flying does are the best eating ; the old men are tough 

 and stringy. There is an immense deal of blood inside 

 the kangaroo, and the flesh, unlike that of any domestic 

 animal, does not appear to be worse from being hard- 

 driven just before death. The meat is dark in colour, 

 soon dries, and in appearance and taste is similar to poor 

 doe venison. 



In habits the kangaroo much resembles both the sheep 

 and the fallow-deer. Timid and shy, their senses of 



