23/47 SPECIES A.M.N.H. No. 153485 MAMMAL | Skin No. 9 AUSTRALIAN SECTION. COLLECTOR: L. MACMILLAN. COLL. No. M. 9. DICKARREE WATERHOLE - 10 miles south of BIRDSVILLE - S.W. QUEENSLAND. DATE 31st MAY 1940 East margin of Simpson Desert. SPECIES SEX ♀ SHOT 8 P.M. STM. ¼, CONDITION GONADS. pregnant ?? very very small, looks like 2 young. WGT. 37.9 gm. SKL. labeled M. 9. wombyjackie Brush-tailed Kangaroo - Rat TOTAL:- 244 mm. TAIL:- 137 mm. H.F.C.U:- 35 mm. H.E.A.C:- 21 mm. Shot in flashlight beam on moonless night. Apparently feeding on the seeds of the locally named Castor Oil Plant. MOULT WING R. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25. SEC. L. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25. SEC. TAIL R. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. L. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. BODY UPPERS—RUMP UNDERS—VENT. LOWER BACK FLANKS UPPER BACK BELLY NAPE BREAST CROWN NECK CHEEKS CHIN ABR. W. T. W./T. SKULL Ticket market M. 9. same date. REMARKS This black, most + pads pink flesh. As regards previous notes on this species I find some remarks were incorrect. This species lives in large warrens where numbers of the species live, I believe mostly ♀ not breeding ♀. Many ♀'s do breed in the main warren but the majority I believe bred in small overlying burrows previously described. Many of both species used these small burrows for daytime feeding on seeds such as the castor oil plant cowrie in thine or on the bulbous roots of grasses. Small feeding burrows without nests are to be found in places where onion grass roots, etc., are plentiful. At the present season all seem to be extremely keen on feeding on the succulent green cud left on the flats which were recently flooded by the Diamantener River. When digging out a burrow one finds many burrows choked by loose sand. I believe in most cases this is purely a place to deposit surplus sand + is a matter of convenience but the species DOES throw up this loose sand behind it when the burrow is being dug out. This form of protection has probably evolved as a method of protection against snakes which are their probable greatest enemies. (One whip snake was captured with its half consumed victim in one burrow which was dug out). Invariably the original or first entrance to a burrow is completely choked with sand + even difficult to (CONT. OVER L.B.F. P.T.O.) July 1st. S. & MCD. PTY. LTD., MELB., NO. 4764.