MURRUMBIDGEE, LOWER LACHLAN, AND LOWER DARLING. 37 
gum-trees all over the Colony. The natives are very expert in 
discovering the shrubs and trees in which grubs are to be found, 
in fact they seldom err ; yet to a casual observer, or even one with 
some acuteness, there is not the slightest perceptible difference in 
the appearance of a tree or shrub containing numerous grubs and 
those which do not contain any, but aboriginal observation is won- 
derfully keen in all matters pertaining to nature; even objects seem- 
ingly the most trivial fail to elude their ever ready perception. 
The ant larve is consumed raw, whilst the grubs are eaten either 
raw or roasted. 
During the cold bleak weather which occurs in winter they are 
not the least bit choice as to their food ; anything having life, no 
acceptable at those times; frogs are deemed good 
ating carpet or true snake most toothsome, and even the abomin- 
able fetid wild dog is esteemed a luxury of the very highest order. 
Blackfellows’ ovens or cooking-places have been a fertile source 
of argument for many years, some holding that they are not 
cooking-places at all, but tumuli or burrows left by some race long 
since passed away and quite forgotten. Still, so far as the general 
public are aware, none of the writers or discussers of the point 
have had sufficient curiosity to dig into the mounds, and so set the 
vexed question at rest once and for all. 
_ Blackfellows’ ovens are not by any means misnomers, as to all 
intents and purposes they are essentially genuine cooking-places, 
or cooking-places and kitchen middens combined, and the following 
is the manner of their formation :—A family, or perhaps several 
families, asthe case may be, select asite for their camp, where abund- 
ance of game and other sources of food obtain and are procurable 
with the least expenditure of time and labour. Towards the middle 
Fath afternoon the hunters drop into camp, with the result of the 
f y's industry, consisting in all probability of all sorts and sizes ; 
or my present purpose however I shall assume the game to con- 
ha opossums onl 
2 hole, about 3 feet in diameter and nearly 2 feet deep; 
uring the digging of the hole any pieces of clay which they chip 
one side with the view to their future use. 
ihe en the hole has been dug sufficiently deep, it is swept or 
out with some boughs or a bunch of grass; it is then filled 
Previously collected and p 
prepared for that purpose. On the top 
of the firewood the selected pieces of clay are carefully placed, the 
