Page:Aboriginesofvictoria01.djvu/308

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THE ABORIGINES OF VICTORIA:
Muloora Cormorant.
Boorkoopiya Long-beaked cormorant.
Kootie Swan.
Thaumpara Pelican.
Kirrpiyirrka Gull.

Fish and other fresh-water habitants are few and unimportant, being caught in the water-holes and lakelets, which can only be called creeks or rivers when the floods come down; the last of which occurred in 1864.

Paroo A small bony flat fish.
Multhoomulthoo A fish weighing from 3 to 3½ lbs.
Moodlakoopa A fish averaging 4 lbs.
Koorie Mussel.
Kuniekoondie Cray-fish.

The vegetable food is various:–

Yowa Rather larger than a pea, found three inches deep in the ground.
Winkara A very starchy root, about five inches long.
Munyaroo A plant much eaten.
Kunaurra The seed of the munyaroo, used when ground into meal between two stones.
Ardoo Often described in newspapers and by writers as nardoo. [Referred to in another part of this work.]
Cobboboo A nut found on the box-tree, on breaking which it discloses a grub; this is probably a gall.
Wodaroo A thin long root, obtainable only where the soil is rich and covered with turf. This is one of the best vegetables the natives possess, sweet and mealy.
Coonchirrie The seed from a species of acacia, ground and made into small loaves.
Patharapowa The seed of the box-tree, ground and made into loaves.
Caulyoo The seed of the prickly acacia, pounded and made into loaves.
Wodlaooroo Very fine seed, taken from the silver-grass growing in the creeks.
Wirrathandra Seed of an acacia.
Mulkathaudra Seed of the mulga-tree.
Yoongundie Black, fine seed, taken from a plant similar to clover.
Mootcha Native cotton-bush. When the leaves sprout and become quite green, the natives gather and cook them, and at seed-time they pluck and eat the pods.