; scattered over the leaves he'd have emu
feathers, and then he would have a strong string, on the end of which
he would have a small branch with this he would place about midway emu
feathers on it; down the drain.

When the emu answers the Boobeen's call, the bugler gets lower and
slower with his call. The emu sees the feathered thing in the drain,
comes inquisitively up and sniffs at it. The man in the hole pulls in
the string slowly; the emu follows, on, on, until heedlessly he steps
on a Murrahgul, or string trap, and is caught. The hunters would
sometimes stalk kangaroo, holding in front of them boughs of trees or
bushy young saplings, closing silently in and in, until at last the
kangaroo were so closely surrounded by men armed with boondees and
spears that there was no escape for them.

For catching emu they had a net made of string as thick as a
clothes-line. These nets were made either of Kurrajong (Noongah) bark,
or of Burraungah grass. The Kurrajong bark is stripped off the trees,
beaten, chewed, and then teased. Then it was taken and rubbed,
principally by the women on their legs, into strands.

The grass was used preferably to Kurrajong bark, as it was easier to
work. The process of preparation was as follows:--

A hole was dug in the ground, some fire put in it, a. quantity of
ordinary grass was put on the top of the coals, and on top of that a
heap of Burraungah grass, that topped with ordinary grass.

Water was sprinkled over it all and the hole earthed up.

When it had been in long enough the earth was cleared away, and the
grass, which was quite soft, taken out. It was then chewed and worked
like the Kurrajong bark, than which it was much more pliable.

String was made of various thicknesses according to what it was
required for.

Fishing nets were always smoked before being used, and all nets had
little charm songs sung over them. In netting, their only implement was
a piece of wood to wind their string on. An emu net was about five feet
high, and between two and three hundred yards long.

When any one discovered a setting emu, they used not to disturb her at
once and get her eggs, but returned to the camp, singing as they neared
it a song known as the Noorunglely, or setting emu song; those in camp
would recognise it, and sing back the reply. The black fellows having
learnt where the nest was, would get their net and go out to camp near
it. All that evening they would have an emu-hunting co