or more. Having passed the loop over the head of the bird, he twists the stick and adroitly draws it into the hole. A patient hunter is always well rewarded when pursuing this method of capture.
The natives had many other contrivances for catching birds; but perhaps the simplest and most curious is that formerly practised in New South Wales. Collins relates that the men of New South Wales caught crows in this manner: A native stretched himself on a rock, as if asleep in the sun, holding a piece of fish in his hand. The bird—hawk or crow—seeing the prey, and not observing any motion in the native, pounced on the fish; and in the instant of seizing it was caught by the savage, who cooked it quickly on the fire, making a meal that for enjoyment might be envied by an epicure.
When a native was hungry he would eat any bird he could kill. Amongst some of the more common, though not necessarily easily taken, may be mentioned the eagle (Aquila audax), hawks (Teracidea berigora, Astur approximans, and Tinnunculus cenchroides); pigeon—large pigeon of Upper Yarra (Leucosarcia picata), bronze-wing pigeon (Peristera elegans), and crested pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes); magpie (common) (Gymnorhina leuconota), minah-bird (Myzantha garrula), wattle-bird (Meliphaga carnuculata), mutton-bird (Puffinurus brevicaudus), and crow (Corvus coronoides); lyre-bird (Menura superba), owl (Strix delicatula), laughing jackass (Dacelo gigas), and the more-pork (Podargus humeralis and P. Cuvieri).
Turtle, etc.
The fresh-water turtle (Platemys Macquaria)—Ngart (Gippsland), Putchpoh (Lake Condah)—is found in great numbers in many of the rivers, lagoons, and swamps of Victoria. It is caught with the hand, and roasted in the shell. On the Murray, the natives take a great many of these reptiles during the summer season; and the flesh is said to be delicate and delicious.
The sea turtles are not seen far south of Shark's Bay, on the north-western coast, and they do not come further south than Sydney, on the north-eastern coast.[1] They are, of course, unknown to the natives of Victoria.[2]
- ↑ Professor McCoy informs me that the leathery turtle (Sphargis coriacea) comes as far south as Portland; the hawk's-bill turtle (Caretta squamata) and green turtle (Chelonia virgata) are not known to him south of Sydney.
- ↑ On the north-western and north-eastern coasts the natives are adroit in taking both the green turtle and the hawk's-bill turtle. The former are usually surprised on the beach when they come to lay their eggs, but sometimes they are attacked in the water when they are asleep. In pursuing this dangerous sport, the native has to exercise great caution in order to avoid the sharp edges of the shells, those of the females being especially keen. When he sees a turtle that he thinks he may venture to attack, he slips gently from his canoe, swims under the turtle, and by a strong effort turns it on its back, at the same time wrenching the fore flipper so as to prevent it from swimming. With the assistance of his companions, the sportsman then attaches a string to the turtle and secures it. It is taken also, Mr. J. G. Wood says, in some places with the harpoon. But the most remarkable method of all is that described by the Messrs. Jardine:—"A singular mode of taking the hawk's-bill turtle is followed by the natives here. This custom, though said to be known so long back as the time of the discovery of America by Columbus, is so strangely interesting that I will give a short account of it as I have seen it practised. A species of sucking-fish (Remora) is used. On the occasion to which I allude, two of these were caught by the blacks
