Page:Aboriginesofvictoria01.djvu/276

194 which even in quality as well as in the mode of knotting could scarcely be distinguished from our own."

Mr. Chenery says that he has often seen the natives of the Goulburn catch ducks. A man swims under water, breathing through a reed, and approaches a flock without creating any alarm. When he is within reach of a duck, he seizes it by the feet, drags it under water, wrings its neck, and tucks it under his belt. In this way, quietly and noiselessly, he secures a great number of birds.

In other parts a somewhat similar method is followed. When a number of ducks is seen on a river or a lagoon, a native enters the water—far below them —covers his head with flags or rushes, or any weed that is growing in the water, and swims towards the flock. He approaches the ducks cautiously, and takes one after another in the manner described by Mr. Chenery.

Sometimes the natives sneak along the banks of a river, and, concealing themselves amongst the reeds, get so near the water-fowl as to be able to spear them, or take them with a noose.

Meyer states that swans, geese, ducks, and other water-fowl, which are plentiful in the Lakes, are taken by the men of the Encounter Bay tribe by a noose at the end of a long stick. They steal upon them, concealed by the long grasses and rushes on the banks of the stream, until they are within reach of the birds.

Taplin finds the noose in use generally amongst the natives of the Lower Murray, but the reed-spear is also employed. The natives send their spears into the dense flocks of widgeon (punkeri), and transfix the birds as they fly. By means of the spear they kill a great many.

"Most of the wild-fowl on the Lakes," says Mr. Taplin, "are unable to fly in the moulting season; they then betake themselves to the reeds. A net is put by the natives round a clump of reeds, beaters are sent in to drive out the ducks, which rush into the nets and are captured by scores."

In Gippsland the natives caught the wild-fowl also when moulting, and when sitting on their eggs, or when just fledged. It does not appear that they used either the net or the noose.

The swan was usually taken by stratagem. He was driven into reeds, and then speared or knocked on the head with a waddy.

In the Paroo district ducks are taken usually, Mr. Sullivan informs me, in nets, arranged like those in use amongst the natives of the Murray. Sometimes they are knocked down by sticks, and sometimes a native will cover his head with mud, and swim so close to a duck as to be able to hit it with ease with any weapon he may have with him. When ducks are flying along a water-course, a boomerang thrown amongst them will bring down one or two.

In cooking birds the natives used, in former times, an oven formed of a number of heated stones on which wet grass was strewn. The birds were placed