liLACK AND WHITE COCKATOOS. 



s|u»t of Itind for cultivation- — as thvi^r l)ir<ls visit, 

 the (lend nr Ihllen trees to procure tlie hwvcV. of 

 insects that breed in thcni, 1 have seen, more 

 tfim, once, small iacees lying prostrate, occii- 

 nm^ hy tJi# pm&rM bills of th^ toge black 

 cockatoos^ wlio, observing- on tlie trnnk, exter- 

 nally, indications of a larva being within, have 

 diligently labonred to extract it ; and slionld the 

 object irf thmr search baigitttated (i^^&lteli occurs) 



cut i^irough, that th^ $1%Kt#il of mnA lays 



it prostrate.* 



Among some of the few vegetable prodnctions 

 in use among the Australian blacks as food, is 

 the root of a sped^s of his^m^f wMcb ^y nsmt 

 ' ' Cormiork. ' ' It grows abUlli^nifly*<mibe banks 

 of the Yas, Murrnmbiilgee, Tnmat, and other 

 rivcre : the roots arc eaten only when yonng : 

 they are prepared by being baked, and the 

 ^piitortts iPWJ^* Bwrcq^^aia isrho tm^ par- 

 taken i% say it hm ^ ^^^j^mMt ferinaceous 

 taste. The roots are collected in spring, when 

 the young plants have just commenced sprout* 

 ing. 



* Tlie black cockatoo (of u liich at present there Eire oa3^ 

 two species known) feeds i>u die larva^ of insects, ur sceda frf^ 

 the Iktn$isk^ J^ke^ aiti ilios^ of tJte Xuntkurrktm 

 or gmft tree. 



