284 
SPEARING BIRDS. 
caught in nets or whilst asleep in the water, by 
natives wading in and seizing them by the legs. 
Wild dogs are speared, but young ones are often 
kept and tamed, to assist in hunting, in which they 
are very useful. The wombat is driven to his hole 
with dogs at night, and a fire being lighted inside, 
the mouth is closed with stones and earth. The 
animal being by this means suffocated, is dug out at 
convenience. 
Birds are killed on the wing, with bwirris, or 
whilst resting on the ground, or in the water, or upon 
branches of trees. They are also taken by spearing, 
by snaring, by noosing, and by netting. In spear- 
ing them the natives make use of a very light reed 
spear (kiko), which is pointed with hard wood, and 
projected when used, with the nga-waonk or throw- 
ing stick. They resort to the lagoons or river flats, 
when flooded, and either wading or in canoes, chase 
and spear the wild fowl. The kiko is thrown to a 
very great distance, with amazing rapidity and pre- 
cision, so that a native is frequently very successful by 
this method, particularly so when the young broods 
of duck and other wild fowl are nearly full grown, 
but still unable to fly far. Getting into his canoe, the 
native paddles along with extraordinary celerity after 
his game, chasing them from one side of the lagoon 
to the other, until he loads himself with spoil. 
Ducks and % teal are caught by snaring, which is 
practised in the following manner. After ascertain- 
ing where there is a shelving bank to any of the 
