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leeches hanging on to their skin; for leeches are plentiful in Australia, and even form an article of considerable export to England.

supper,

We afterward went out to Perry's harvest dance and with which the gathering in of the crops is usually celebrated, as at home. The wheat had by this time all been sold and cleared out of the barn, and it was now rigged up as a ballroom. We had a good long spell of dancing, to the music of a violin and a bush piano. Perhaps you don't know what a bush piano is? It consists of a number of strings arranged on a board, tightened up and tuned, upon which the player beats with a padded hammer, bringing out sounds by no means unmusical. At all events, the bush piano served to eke out the music of our solitary violin.

After the dance there was the usual bounteous supper, with plenty to eat and drink for all; and then our horses were brought out, and we rode homeward. It was the end of harvest, just the time of the year when, though the days were still warm, the nights were beginning to be cool and sharp, as they are about the beginning of October in England. One night there was a most splendid aurora, one of the finest, it is said, that had been seen, even in Australia. A huge rose-colored curtain seemed to be let down across half the sky, striped with bright golden color, shaded off with a deeper yellow. Beneath the red curtain, close to the horizon, was a small semicircle of bright greenish-yellow, just as if the sun were about to rise; and bright gleams of light shot up from it far into the sky, making the rose-colored clouds glow again. The brilliancy extended upward almost to the zenith, the stars glimmering through the

darker or less bright part of the sky. Though I have mentioned "clouds," there was not a cloud to be seen; the clouds I name were really masses of brilliant light, obscuring the deep blue beyond. I feel the utter powerlessness of words to describe the magnificence of the

scene.

The weather-wise people predicted a change of weather, and, sure enough, a change shortly followed. We had had no rain for weeks, but early on the second morning after the appearance of the aurora I was awakened by the noise of heavy rain falling upon our slight iron roof. I found a tremendous storm raging, and the rain falling in masses. Our large iron tank was completely filled in half an hour, and, overflowing, it ran in upon our bank floor and nearly flooded us out. We had an exciting time of it baling out the water as fast as it ran in, for somehow the drain running underneath our boarded house had got stopped. At last the rainfall ceased and the water was got rid of, leaving every thing in a state of damp - damp stools and chairs, damp sheets, damp clothes, damp books, damp paper, damp every thing.

The 'Possum.

Birds.

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CHAPTER XIII.

BUSH ANIMALS-BIRDS- -SNAKES.

- A Night's Sport in the Bush. — Musquitoes. — Wattle The Piping Crow.-" Miners."- Parroquet Hunting. - The Southern Cross.-Snakes.—Marsupial Animals.

A FAVORITE Sport in Australia is 'possum - shooting. The Australian opossum is a marsupial quadruped, living in trees, and feeding on insects, eggs, and fruits. Its body is about twenty-five inches in length, besides which it has a long prehensile tail, with which it clings to the branches of the trees in which it lives. Its skin is covered with thick fur, of a uniform smoky-black color, tinged with chestnut, and it is very much sought after because of its warmth and beauty.

The proper time for 'possum-shooting is at night, when the moon is nearly at her full, and one can see about almost as well as in the daytime. Even Venus is so bright that, on a night when the moon was absent, I have seen her give light enough to drive by.

A well-trained dog is almost indispensable for scenting the 'possums and tracking them to their tree, beneath which he stands and gives tongue. When the dog stands and barks, you may be sure there is the "'possum up a gum-tree." I never had the good fortune to be accompanied by a well-trained dog, but only by young ones new to the sport.

We had, therefore, to find and sight our own game.

This is done by looking carefully along each branch, with the tree between you and the bright moonlight; and if there be a 'possum there, you will see a little black, furry-like ball motionless in the fork of a limb. On the first night that I went out 'possum-shooting with a party of friends, we trudged a good way into the bush, and searched the trees for a long time in vain.

At length the old colonial who accompanied us, coming up to a large tree, said," Ah! here is a likely place;" and we began carefully to spy the branches. "There he is," said the colonial, pointing to a limb where he said the 'possum was. At first I could make out nothing, but at last I spied the little round ball. He fired, and the animal fell to the ground dead.

A little farther on we searched again and found another. Now it was my turn. I took steady aim at the black object between me and the moon, and fired. Looking through the smoke, I saw Joey hanging on to the branch by his tail, and in half a minute more he dropped to the ground. I found that this was one of the ring-tailed species, the top of the tail being bare for about two inches, and formed like a white ring. 'Possums of this sort use their tails for climbing, like the spider-monkey of Africa. I found I could carry my ring-tailer hanging on to my finger even after he was quite dead.

The next 'possum fell wounded from the tree and took to his heels, with the little dogs after him, and they settled him after a short fight. Sometimes the 'possum, after being hit, will cling a long time to the tree by his tail, with his body hanging down. Then the best and lightest climber goes up to shake him down, and he soon

drops among the dogs, which are all excitement, and ready to fall upon him. Occasionally he will give them a good run, and then the object is to prevent him getting up another tree.

Proceeding on our search, we found ourselves on some low swampy ground, where there were said to be abundance of 'possums; but I had no sooner entered the swamp than I was covered with musquitoes of the most ravenous character. They rose from the ground in thousands, and fastened on my "new chum" skin, from which the odor of the lime juice had not yet departed,* and in a few minutes I was literally in torment, and in full retreat out of the swamp. Not even the prospect of a full bag of 'possums would tempt me again in that direction.

In all, we got seven 'possums, which is considered a very small bag. There is a practised sportsman in the town who goes out with a well-trained dog, accompanied by a horse and cart, and he is disappointed if he does not bring home quite a cart-load of fur.

When we had got done with our sport and resolved on wending our way homeward, I had not the faintest idea where we were, or of the direction in which we were to proceed. Of course, near the town there are plenty of tracks, but here there were none; and there is such a complete sameness in the bush that I wondered that even my experienced friend should be able to guide us back. But he had no difficulty in finding the way, and we were soon tramping steadily along under the

* It is said in the colony that the musquitoes scent out each " new chum," or fresh importation, by the lime-juice he has taken on board ship; and that, being partial to fresh blood, they attack the "new chums" in preference to the seasoned inhabitants.

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