
KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 
323 

PICKINGS FROM AUSTRALIA, 
NATURAL HISTORY OF MELBOURNE. 
BY MRS. CHARLES CLACY. 

EELs are very plentiful in Victoria. They 
are peculiar to this district; being seldom, 
if ever, found in any other part of the known 
continent. Old writers on Australia have 
stated that eels are unknown in this part of 
the world; since this colony has been set- 
tled in, this has been found to be erroneous. 
The Barwin, the Yarra-Yarra, and their tri- 
butaries, abound with them, some weighing 
five or six pounds. A few days after our 
return from the diggings, we breakfasted off 
a dish of stewed eels, caught by a friend. The 
smallest weighed about a pound and a half, 
the largest about three pounds. They were 
caught three miles from Melbourne, in the 
Salt Water Creek. 
A small kind of fish like the lamprey, 
another similar to the gudgeon, and also 
one (of rather a larger kind—the size of 
the roach) called here the “‘ white herring,” 
but not at all resembling that fish, are 
found. Pike are also very numerous. Crabs 
and lobsters are not known here; but in 
the salt creeks near the sea we have 
craw-fish. 
Of course, parrots, cockatoos, and “ sich- 
like,” abound in the bush, to the horror 
of the small gardeners aud cultivators; 
as what they do not eat they ruin by 
destroying the young shoots. Kangaroos 
are extremely numerous in the scrub. 
They are the size of a large grey- 
hound, and of a mouse color. The natives 
call them “kanguru.” ‘The tail is of great 
strength. There are several varieties of 
them. The largest is the Great Kangaroo, 
of a greyish-brown color, generally four or 
five feet high, and the tail three. Some 
kangaroos are nearly white; others resemble 
the hare in color. Pugs, or young kangaroos, 
are plentiful about the marshy grounds; so 
are also the opossum and kangaroo rat. The 
latter is not a rat, properly speaking, but 
approaches the squirrel tribe. It isa Lilli- 
putian kangaroo, the size of our native wood- 
squirrel, and has large eyes, only grey or red- 
dish grey. It can leap six or eight feet easily, 
and is excellent eating. ; 
The native dog is of all colors. It has the 
head and brush of a fox, with the body and 
legs of a dog. It is a cowardly animal, and 
will run away from you “like mad.” It is 
a great enemy of the kangaroo rat, and a 
torment to the squatter; for a native dog 
has a great penchant for mutton, and will 
kil thirty or forty sheep in the course of an 
hour. 
A species of mocking-bird which inhabits 
the bush, is a ludicrous creature. It imitates 
everything, and makes many a camping 



party imagine there is a man near them, 
when they hear its whistle or hearty laugh. 
This bird is nicknamed the ‘“ Jack-ass,” and 
itsloud “ha! ha! ha!’’ is heard every morn- 
ing at dawn echoing through the woods, and 
serving the purpose of a “ boots,’’ by calling 
the sleepy traveller in good time to get his 
breakfast and pursue his journey. © 
The bats here are very large. Insects, 
fleas, &c., are as plentiful as it is possible to 
be; and the ants, of which there are several 
kinds, are a perfect nuisance. The largest 
are called the old colonists’ ‘‘ bull-dogs,” and 
formidable creatures they are—luckily not 
very common; about an inch and a half 
long, black, or rusty-black, with a red tail. 
They bite like alittle crab. Ants of an inch 
long are quite common. They do not—like 
the English ones—run scared away at the 
sight of a human being. Australian ants 
have more pluck, and will turn and face you. 
Nay, more; should you retreat, they will run 
after you with all the impudence imaginable. 
Often when my “ organ of destructiveness ” 
has tempted me slightly to disturb with the 
end of my parasol one of the many ant-hills 
on the way from Melbourne to Richmond, 
I have been obliged, as soon as they have 
discovered the perpetrator of the attack, to 
take to my heels and run away as if for my 
life. 
Centipedes and triantelopes (colonial for 
tarantula) are very common; and though not 
exactly fatal, are very dangerous if not at- 
tended to. The deaf adder is the most 
formidable “ varmint’’ in Australia. There 
are two varieties ; it is generally about two 
feet long. ‘The bite is fatal. The deaf adder 
never moves unless it is touched ; hence its 
name. Ido not think it has the power of 
twisting or twirling like the ordinary snake 
or adder, and it is very slow in its move- 
ments. ‘There are several species of snakes. 
Some of them are extremely venomous, and 
grow to a large size, as long as ten feet. 
The black snake is the most venomous of 
any; its bite is fatal within a few hours.” 
The above are from the ‘ Note-book” of 
avery funny lady. We will not vouch for 
all the particulars being ‘“ facts.” 
It seems odd that ‘“alady” should “take 
to her heels, and run away as if for her life,”’ 
pursued by an Australian ant in seven- 
league boots! It may be true. Let us be 
polite, and try and think it zs / 
TEARS AND LAUGHTER. 

Gop made both tears and laughter; and both 
for kind purposes. For as lavghter enables mirth 
and surprise to breathe freely; so, tears enable 
sorrow to vent itself patiently. 
Tears hinder sorrow from becoming despair and 
madness; and laughter is one of the very privileges 
of reason—being confined to the human species, 


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