[restrictions in food. 293 
it is also well suited for satisfying the respective 
owners and claimants ; the three pieces being, if not 
quite equal in size, sufficiently so for the purpose of 
partition. 
There are many usages in force among the natives 
respecting the particular kinds of food allowed to be 
eaten at different ages ; restrictions and limitations 
of many kinds are placed upon both sexes at different 
stages of life. What is proper to be eaten at one 
period, is disallowed at another, and vice versa.. And 
although laws of this nature appear to be in force 
throughout the whole continent, there appear to be 
occasional differences of custom as to restriction in 
regard to both food and age. It also appears that 
there are more restrictions placed upon the females, 
until past the age of child-bearing, than upon the 
males. 
Infants are not often weaned until between two 
and three years old ; but during this time any food 
is given to them which they can eat, except those 
kind of vegetables which are likely to disagree 
with them. No restrictions are placed upon very 
young children of either sex, a portion being given 
to them of whatever food their parents may have. 
About nine or ten years appears to be the age at 
which limitations commence. Boys are now for- 
bidden to eat the red kangaroo, or the female or 
the young ones of the other kinds ; the musk duck, 
the white crane, the bandicoot, the native pheasant, 
(leipoa, meracco), the native companion, some kinds 
