MISCELLANEOUS.

Auckland Times, Volume 3, Issue 135, 9 August 1845, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS.

Wonderful Discovery of a Nf.w Animal.—ln our last number we gave an account of the finding of the kneejoint of some gigantic animal whi h from there being no such anima hitherto known to exist in Australia.

we supposed to be the fossil remains of some early period. Subsequent information, however, coupled withe the fact that the bone was in good' preservation, and had altogether a recent appearance, has induced us to alter our opinion. On the bone being shown to an intelligent black, he at 1 once recognised it as belonging to the '"Bunyip," which he declared he had' seen. On being requested to make a drawing of it, he did so without hesi. tation. The bone and the picture, were then shown separately to differ' ent blacks, who had no opportunity of communicating with each other, and' they one and all recognised the bone and ■■ picture as- belonging to the " Bunyip," repeating the name without

variation. One declared that he knew where the whole of the bones of one" animal were to be found; another stated his mother was killed by one of them, at the Barwon lakes, within ■&' few miles of Geelong, and that another woman was killed on the very spot where the punt crosses the Barwon, at South Geelong. The most direct evidence of all was that of Mumbowran, who showed several deep wounds on his breast made by the claws of the animal. Another statement was made ■- that a mare, the property of Mr. Furlong, was, about six years ago. seized by one of these animals on the banks of the Little River, and only escaped with a broken leg. They 3ay : that the reason why no white man has over yet sees it is because it is amphibious, and does not come on land except on extremely hot days, when it

basks on the bank; but on the slight- ' est noise or whisper it rolls gently over into the water, scarcely creating a ripple. We have adduced these authorities, before giving a description of the anima), lest, from its strange, grotesque, and nondescript character, the reader should have at once set down the whole as fiction. The '■' Bunyip," then, is represented as uniting the characteristics of a bird and of an alligator. It has a head resembling an emu, with a long bill, at the extremity of which is a projection on each side, with serrated edges, like the bone of the stingray. Its body and legs partake of the nature of the alligator. The hmd legs are remarkably thick and strong, and the fore legs are much longer, but still of great strength. The extremities are furnished with long daws, but the blacks say its usual method of killing its prey is by hugging it to death. When in the water it swims like a' frog/and when on shore it walks on its hind legs, with its head erect, in which position it measures twelve or thirteen feet in height. Its breast is' said to be covered with different coloured feathers; but the probability is that the blacks have not had a sufficiently near view to ascertain whether this appearance might not arise from hair or scales. They describe it as' laying eggs of double the size of the emu's egg, of a pale colour; these eggs they frequently meet with,-but" as they are «no good for eating," the black boys set them up for a mark,' and throw stones at them. We intend ■ in a few days to give a fac simile of the drawing made by the black, so that cur bush readers may be to" question the blacks in their own neighbourhood, and should any new facts be elicited, we shall take it as a favour in any one who may transmit an account of them to us for tion.~ Geelong Advertiser,