ABORIGINAL TRIBES OF NEW SOUTH WALES AND VICTORIA. 353 



all the hilarity which was going on in front of them. Then 

 some renowned dancers from an adjoining tribe were asked 

 to come and try if they could provoke the risibility of the 

 two old women. The pelican, wirraia, and the black-and- 

 white magpie, kumnviir, came to the camp and executed 

 some wonderfully farcical performances, but their joint 

 endeavours were equally ineffectual. 



The old men considered the acquisition of fire of such 

 great importance to their people that they decided to ask 

 still another tribe to send some of their most laughter- 

 exciting players. In response to this invitation two comical 

 characters volunteered — the black cockatoo, bilir, and the 

 shingleback, kulu. After some preliminary manoeuvres by 

 less distinguished men had been disposed of, the shingle- 

 back danced along, to and fro, on the point of his tail, 

 evacuating as he did so. This made a decided impression 

 on the two women, and arrested their attention, but they 

 still remained tolerably self-possessed. The black cockatoo 

 now jumped along among the performers, with his lower 

 bowel protruding through the anal orifice, and ordure mixed 

 with blood running down his tail. This exhibition proved 

 irresistible to the women, who broke out into uncontroll- 

 able laughter and rolled over on the ground. 



This was the opportunity so long sought for. The sparrow- 

 hawk, girrlki, picked up the women's bag and ran away a 

 little distance, where he upset its contents upon the ground. 

 This liberated the fire, which spread in all directions among 

 the dry grass. The sparrow-hawk followed the fire and 

 "sang" to encourage it to go faster. By his magic he 

 produced a whirlwind which accelerated the spread of the 

 flames. As it blazed along, he put some of it into every 

 tree of the forest, both soft wood and hard wood, so that 

 fire can now be obtained by rubbing the two kinds of wood 

 together. 



W— Oct. 5, 1904. 



