ABORIGINAL TRIBES OF NEW SOUTH WALES AND VICTORIA. 345 



larger at pleasure, from the size of a little lizard or bird, 

 to that of a giant. 



Miscellaneous Superstitions. — The Darkinung people 

 had a mythic malevolent creature resembling a man whose 

 body had a red glow like burning coals, who had his abode 

 in rocky places on the sides and tops of mountains. Fathers 

 used to warn their sons to keep away from such spots. His 

 name was Ghindariug, and his image was marked upon 

 the ground at their initiation ceremonies, with a vessel 

 containing human blood laid upon his breast. 1 



Gu-ru-ngaty is the name of an aquatic monster among 

 the Thurrawal and Gundungurra tribes. He resides in 

 deep waterholes, and would drown and eat strange blacks, 

 but would not harm his own people. He usually climbed 

 a tree near the water, from which he kept a look out. If 

 he saw a stranger approaching, he slid down and dived into 

 the water, without making a splash, or leaving any ripples 

 on the surface. As soon as the individual began to drink, 

 he was caught by Gurungaty. 



Mumuga is another fabled monster of the Thurrawal, 

 possessing great strength and residing in caves in mountain- 

 ous country. He has very short arms and legs, with hair 

 all over his body but none on his head. He cannot run 

 very fast, but when he is pursuing a blackfellow he evacu- 

 ates all the time as he runs, and the abominable smell of 

 the ordure overcomes the individual, so that he is easily 

 captured. If the person who is attacked has a fire stick 

 in his hand, the stink of Mumuga has no effect upon him. 



The Wongaibon natives believe that a spirit or wicked 

 person named Gurugula hovers about in the clouds and 

 in the air overhead. If he smells the fat of any animal, 



1 See my " Burbungof the Darkinung Tribe/' Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 

 Vol.x., N.S., p. 3 ; also " The Darkinung Language and Vocabulary/' 

 Journ. Anthrop. Inst., Vol. xxxiii., pp. 271 -281. 



