CONILURUS. 117 



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

 and a half inches. 



Habitat. Central Queensland. 



Reference. Gould, Marnm. Austr. iii. pi. iii. 



6. CONILURUS HIRSUTUS, Gould, sp. (1842). 

 Long-haired Jerboa-Eat. 



Tail much longer than the head and body ; fur coarse and 

 shaggy. General color above yellowish-brown with very numerous 

 longer interspersed black hairs ; below rusty yellow tinged with 

 brown on the neck and chest ; feet black, the claws whitish ; 

 basal three-fourths of tail black, the remainder rusty white, the 

 apical tuft exceeding an inch in length. 



Dimensions. Head and body up to ten and a third inches; tail 

 to thirteen inches. 



Habitat. Northern Queensland. 



References. Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1842, p. 12, and Mamm. 

 Austr. iii. pi. iv. 



7. CONILURUS PENICILLATUS, Gould, sp. (1842). 

 Black-tailed Jerboa-Rat. 



Tail slightly longer than the head and body ; fur rather spiny. 

 General color above grayish-brown grizzled with buff, the occiput 

 and neck tinged with rusty ; entire under surfaces, inner surfaces 

 of the legs, and the feet white with a faint yellow tint ; apical 

 half of the tail black and moderately tufted. 



Dimensions. Head and body up to seven and a quarter inches ; 

 tail to seven and three-fourths inches. 



Habitat. Northern Queensland. 



References. Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1842, p. 12, and Mamm. 

 Austr. iii. pi. v. 



Note. Writing of the habits of C. penicillatus, Mr. Gilbert 

 (vide Gould) remarks, " this little animal is only seen on the 

 beach where there are large Casuarina trees, in the dead hollow 

 branches of which it forms a nest of fine dry grass, and retires 

 during the day ; in the evening it leaves its retreat and proceeds 

 to the beach, where it may be seen running along at the edge of 

 the surf as it rolls up and recedes, apparently feeding upon any 

 animal matter washed up by the waves." Personally Gould 

 states that " its habits would seem to be somewhat singular, 

 inasmuch as it is frequently found among the swamps on the 

 sea-shore ; / have no evidence, however, that it is not also found in 

 the interior of the country." 



