72 Personal Observations in the 
Vampyre Bat.—The former, which is’ familiarly known by 
the name of the “devil,” or flying fox, is found in all the 
mountain ranges, but is especially numerous in those parts 
of the coast abounding in hollows and caverns. It sometimes 
measures three and a half feet across the wings. 
Common Bat.—The common bat, like the less numerous 
species above mentioned, is found over the whole colony, 
but especially in rocky places along the coast. 
TV.—The Aborigines of the Goulburn are few in number, 
of a peaceable disposition, and distinguished by a local lan- 
guage and characteristic habits. The whole of the tribes 
living in the same latitude towards Mount Gambier, are 
peaceably disposed, and in this respect. differ most materially 
from the Fisher and the savage Murray tribes. 
During my journey to Seymour, 1 met with a camp of 
Aborigines, by whom I was willingly accompanied to that 
place. Having observed an unusually large number of dead 
trees in a forest which we passed through, I was induced to 
inquire the cause of so peculiar a circumstance, and was 
informed, in reply, that it was the spot on which a once very 
numerous Goulburn tribe was overwhelmed by a still more 
powerful tribe, inhabiting the banks of the Murray. Each 
of the dead trees represent a member of the extinguished 
clan; and the custom is still maintained by those tribes 
neighbouring the Goulburn, and has its origin in the follow- 
ing superstitious ceremony. 
Upon a youth arriving at manhood, he is conducted by 
three of the leaders of his tribe, into the recesses of the 
woods, where he remains two days and one night. Being 
furnished with a piece of wood, he knocks out two of the 
teeth of his upper front jaw; and on returning to the camp 
carefully consigns them to his mother. The youth then again 
retires into the forest, and remains absent two nights and one 
day ; during which, his mother, having selected a young gum 
tree, inserts the teeth in the bark, in the fork of two of the 
topmost branches. ‘This tree is made known only to certain 
persons of the tribe, and is strictly kept from the knowledge 
of the youth himself. In case the person to whom the tree 
is thus dedicated dies, the foot of it is stripped of its bark, 
and it is killed by the application of fire; thus becoming a 
monument of the deceased. Hence, we need no longer be 
surprised at so frequently finding groups of dead trees in 
healthy and verdant forests, and surrounded by luxuriant 
vegetation. 
