1/47 MAMMAL DEPT. COLLECTOR: L. MACMILLAN. SPECIES A.M.N.H. NO. 153419 DOCKAREE WATER-HOLE. 10 miles south of BIRDSVILLE. WESTERN QUEENSLAND (actually 2 miles inside South Australia). Eastern margin SIMPSON DESERT. DATE 17th MAY 1940. COLL. NO. 3. SPECIES RAT SEX ♂ CONDITION GONADS. TOTAL LENGTH 325 mm. SHOT 12 R.M. midnight WGHT. 218.8 gm. SKL. TAIL 143 mm. H.F.C.U. 40 mm. H.E.A.C. 28 mm STM. SPIRIT SPECIMEN (BEING FIRST CAPTURE). 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. UP COVS. UND. COVS. 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. UP COVS. UND. COVS. TAIL R. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. UP COVS. UN COVS. L. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. BODY UPPERS-RUMP LOWER BACK UPPER BACK NAPE CROWN CHEEKS UNDERS-VENT FLANKS BELLY BREAST NECK CHIN ABR. W. T. W./T. SKULL REMARKS This black, very dark brown. Legs & more dusky flesh. Pads: dusky flesh. These rats are very common about the flats (subject to rare flooding by overflow of Diamantinae River, but annual rainfall is 5 inches or less most years), surrounding the waterhole & in the flats between the sand hills of the desert margin. They are also found well into the desert. This or another species makes its burrows in the sandhills also. Burrows are extensive in the soft sandy soil & extremely difficult to dig out, this' abo's (Aust. natives) do capture some by this method. Burrows have many entrances usually & some well concealed, also rats dig nearly as fast as you can with a shovel. Burrows have been followed to a depth of several feet. Tracks on sandhills show the species to be very abundant & also well worn pads to water etc. show this but it is seldom or never seen even with a flashlight at night. This specimen was collected by that method but is the first which has actually been seen. 188 Ready. S. & MCD. PTY. LTD., MELB., NO. 4764.