squirrel, skimming from branch to branch, whisper us to retire to our
bedchambers. In the morning, again, the dull monotonous double note of
the _whee-whee_, (so named from the sound of its calls,) chiming in at
as regular intervals as the tick of a clock, warns us to rub our eyes
and con over the tasks of the impending day, as it is but half an hour
to dawn; till again the loud laughter of the _jackass_ summons us to
turn out, and take a peep at the appearance of the morning, which just
begins to glimmer beyond the dusky outline of the eastern hills.

_Animals_.--Our wild animals are numerous, but few of them carnivorous,
and none of a size to endanger human life. The _native dog_ is generally
believed to be an importation, being deficient of the false uterus or
pouch characterising all our other quadrupeds. He closely resembles the
Chinese dog in form and appearance, being either of a reddish or dark
colour, with shaggy hair, long bushy tail, prick ears, large head, and
slightly tapering nose; in size he reminds one of a shepherd's dog,
running with considerable speed, and snapping in attack or defence. He
does not bark, but howls in melancholy sort, when prowling in quest of
prey, and has a strong and peculiar odour, which makes European dogs shy
at first of attacking him, doubtless intimidated too by his snapping
mode of fighting; for it is observed of poodles, and all which snap,
that few other dogs are fond of engaging them. He is most destructive on
breaking in among a flock of sheep, as he bites a piece out of every one
he seizes; not holding fast and worrying dead like the fox, but snapping
at all he can overtake, till twenty or thirty may be killed by one dog,
there being something so peculiarly venomous in their bite that few
recover from it. Their cross with the tame dog forms a very useful breed
for emu-hunting, and many even of the pure ones are caught young, tamed
by the natives, and bred up to hunt emus and kangaroos. They have as
many pups as the tame dog, littering either in some hollow log, deserted