NOTES OX A FAT-TAILED MABSUPIAL MOUSE— ALEXANDES. 295 



NOTES ON THE FAT-TAILED MARSUPIAL 

 MOUSE (SMINTHOPSIS CRASSICA UDA TA ). 



By W. B. Alexander, M.A. 



On 17th June, 1922, at Westwood, Central Queensland, I noticed my kitten 

 carrying a small animal in its mouth which, when rescued, proved to be a male of 

 this species. It was somewhat remarkable that it had been caught in the open 

 paddock behind .my house in broad daylight. Unfortunately, it had been killed 

 before I rescued it. 



A few evenings later the same kitten brought a live specimen into the sitting 

 room and proceeded to play with it. Fortunately, I was able to rescue it before 

 it had been injured, and, subsequently, I kept it alive in a small cage in my room for 

 several weeks. As comparatively little seems to be on record concerning the habits 

 of these small nocturnal marsupials, I have thought it worth while to describe the 

 habits of this individual as far as I could observe them. Like the first specimen, 

 it was an adult male. 



The box in Avhich I kept it was Uned with rough sods of turf, and during the 

 day it remained concealed amongst the grass. It did not attempt to burrow, but 

 pulled down a few long pieces of grass in such a way as to construct a shght shelter 

 over the hollow in which it slept. About dusk it came out and ran about in its box 

 looking for food. Its progression was effected by a series of short runs, with pauses 

 at short intervals, and it not infrequently made short leaps, springing off its hind 

 legs. It was able to jump on to the edge of the box, a height of about six inches 

 above the turf floor, when the cover was remos'ed. 



The cover was of wire-gauze, and when this was in place it not infrequently 

 clambered about on it, hanging from the under surface. 



At first it was completely nocturnal, but, after a time when it became tamer, 

 it not infrequently moved about in the day-time, especially during a spell of cold 

 weather when I was unable to find many insects for it and it was presumably hungry. 



It readily devoured cockroaches, large moths, and spiders. The cockroaches 

 and spiders were completely eaten, but the wings of the moths were left. It also 

 greedily devoured the white grub of a scarabseid beetle, but did not touch a good- 

 sized earthworm. When hungry it would eat a small amount of beef-fat, but 

 evidently did not care for this diet. 



When eating it sat up on its haunches holding the insect in one of its front 

 paws and biting portions out of it.s victim apparently haphazard, and without first 

 kilHng it. 



