68 



Personal Observations in the 



the scarcity of information on this subject, in books treating 

 on the Zoology of AustraHa. Their capture is also attended 

 with a very considerable degree of difficulty, so much so that 

 the utmost exertions of three or four men for several days 

 are insufficient to effect it. As an illustration of this, I sub- 

 join the following extract from my diary, showing the mode 

 which the natives pursue in endeavoring to effect its capture. 



Sept. 10, 1854. — The aborigines, Sandy and Mackenzie, 

 searching the banks of the creek for wombats ; and succeeding 

 m tracking one to a hole, the opening of which was then 

 carefully obstructed. 



llth, — Sandy and Mackenzie again repaired to the hole, 

 which, having been cleared of the logs placed before it, was 

 entered by Sandy ; the other remaining above, listening at- 

 tentively to the knocking of his companion below, indicative 

 of the situation of the animal. This spot is carefully marked 

 on the surfa^je, and the native having come out, the hole is 

 again blocked. 



I2th. — The three natives sunk a shaft on the spot, which 

 had been ascertained by them yesterday, and bottomed it at 

 a depth of twenty-two feet. Found, to their astonishment, 

 that the animal had disappeared, and left the work for the 

 day ; the opening, as before, being carefully obstructed. 



IWi, — The natives almost exhausted, so myself and assis- 

 tant began to dig for the wombat, and sunk a new shaft of 

 seventeen feet ; but on bottoming It, had the mortification to 

 discover that the animal had again disappeared. Here we 

 lost all traces of him, the natives being equally at fault ; and 

 at length gave up the search. 



The flesh of the wombat is by the natives esteemed as a 

 great delicacy. The taste when roasted is not unhke that of 

 veal ; as I have on several occasions, owing to a scarcity of 

 provisions, been obhged to avail myself of It. 



I could never induce a native to skin a wombat, and after 

 considerable inquiry as to the cause assigned for this refusal, 

 I was enabled to ascertain that It was owing to a supposed 

 pernicious effect which it had upon the bones of the hand. 

 Whether the fat of the animal in a raw state may not exert 

 some influence on the phosporus of the bone, I leave it for 

 others to decide. 



Koala, — The koala or karbor ( Phascolarctos cinereus) 

 frequents very high trees, and sits in places where it Is most 

 sheltered by the branches, hence It is with difficulty detected, 

 especially as its fur is of the same colour as the bark of the 



