118 CONILURUS. 



8. CONILURUS PERSONATUS, Krefft, sp. (1867). 

 Krefft's Jerboa-Rat. 



Tail much shorter than the head and body ; fur coarse. General 

 color above reddish-brown, below sandy white ; a black mark 

 surrounding the eye and continued along the side of the snout. 

 Tail covered with coarse irregular scales, between which a few 

 stiff hairs are visible. 



Dimensions. Head and body up to nine inches ; tail to six 

 and a half inches. 



Habitat. Northern Queensland. 



Reference. Krefft, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 318. 



9. CONILURUS CONDITOR, Gould, sp. (1849). 



Nest-building Jerboa-Rat. 



Ears large ; tail equal in length to the head and body ; fur 

 soft and silky. General color above grayish-brown, darkest down 

 the middle of the head and back ; below pale buff ; hands brown ; 

 feet very large, pale brown ; tail brown above, paler beneath. 



Dimensions. Head and body six inches. 

 Habitat. Interior of Eastern Australia. 



References. Ogilby, Trans. Linn. Soc. 1838, xviii. p. 127 

 (habits); Gould, in Sturt's Exped. into Centr. Austr. i. p. 120, 

 and ii. App. p. 7, and Marnrn. Austr. iii. pi. vi. 



Note. This species has received its specific name from its 

 habit of constructing a large nest in which one or more families 

 dwell ; in the latter case, however, each family occupies a separate 

 compartment, but with a passage communicating between them ; 

 these nests are built of small sticks, and are so firmly put together 

 as to defy the attacks of a dog. The nests are somewhat in the 

 form of a beehive, with a diameter of about four feet and a 

 height of about three, and the method of construction is thus 

 described by Major Mitchell : " For this purpose the little animal 

 chooses some small bush or shrub as a fixed point d'appui to 

 commence its operations ; and by gradually working round this, 

 and interlacing the materials of its fortalice, first of all with the 

 growing branches of the centre bush, and afterwards with one 

 another gradually extends it to the enormous dimensions speci- 

 fied." The inhabited compartments are warmly lined with grass. 



10. CONILURUS MURINUS, Gould, sp. (1845). 



Mouse-like Jerboa-Rat. 



Ears large. Tail much shorter than the head and body ; fur 

 remarkably soft and delicate. General color above delicate 



