17-1 Manners and Customs of the Australian Natives, 



themselves. They are also very fond of lizard eggs, which, 

 dug fresh out of the ground, taste exactly like soft-boiled hen's 

 eggs. 



Their usual method of hunting is unobservedly to approach 

 \he animal as near as they can, and to spear it. On these oc- 

 casions they resort to various manoeuvres, as for instance — 

 one of the blacks places himself at some distance in an open 

 space of ground or behind some bushes, and makes a slight 

 noise by breaking off some branches, or in an}^ other way, 

 Avhile another black stealthily approaches to within a spear's 

 throw from the opposite side, where, of course, the animal 

 does not suspect the least danger. This is the usual manner for 

 killing kangaroos, emus, wild dogs, &c. If, however, there be 

 assembled a number of natives, and aware of several kangaroos 

 being in the neighbourhood, then they will surround the dis- 

 trict, gradually narrowing the circle; the best spearsmen being 

 placed at certain favourable spots, and the others driving the 

 game regularly towards them. If such a chase happens to take 

 place near the sea, the kangaroos will try to escape into it, 

 but to little purpose only, as their pursuers follow them 

 there even, and while swimming surround them. Smaller ani- 

 mals, such as wallabies, kangaroo rats, &c., which live in the 

 lower scrub, they kill by throwing at them (when started) 

 clubs called "wirra.'' At times, having set on fire entire 

 districts of country, they place themselves before the fire in 

 order to kill the scared animals which try to escape in that 

 direction. The blacks are very expert in the use of this A^ery 

 simple weapon, and practise it from the earliest age, by roll- 

 ing on the ground, instead of the animal, a dry sponge, throw- 

 ing the wirra after it. I have frequently seen little boys seven 

 and eight years old, bringing doAvn, in this manner, parrots off 

 the casuarina trees, and the little girls even know Avell how to 

 handle this tool. 



When hunting in the lower scrub, they attach a bunch of 

 feathers to the blunt end of the spear, and on discovering an 

 animal, fix it in the ground as a signal for the others to come 

 near, and surround it to secure the prey. In addition to 

 this they have a variety of signs, unaccompanied by sound, for 

 indicating the different animals they discover ; for instance, 

 they stretch out the first finger, moving it as in imitation of 

 theleaping of a kangaroo when not suspecting an enemy, to 

 indicate that such an animal is in sight ; again, three fingers 

 stretched out, the second finger a little lower than the others, 

 is for an emu ; the thumb alone is raised for an opposum ; the 



