﻿13S Allen's naturallst's librarv. 



frequents the stony ridges of the hotter and more exposed 

 portions of the country, whereas the Short-nosed Bandicoot 

 and its kindred prefer low swampy grounds covered with the 

 densest vegetation. On the other hand, in the neighbourhood 

 of the Swan river, Gould states that the present species "resides 

 in the densest scrub ; thickets of the seedling Casuarince. being 

 its favourite resort. It makes a compact nest in a hollow on 

 the ground, of grasses and other materials, which assimilate so 

 closely in colour and appearance to the surrounding herbage, 

 that it is very difificult of detection, the difficulty being much 

 increased by the nest having no visible opening for the ingress 

 and egress of the animals. The nests are generally inhabited 

 by pairs ; the young are either three or four in number." 



" Its food consists of insects, seeds, «S:c. It excavates holes 

 in the earth, with rapidity and ease, and to these, and the 

 hollow trunks of fallen trees, it flies for shelter when pursued 

 by its enemies." 



In regard to its burrowing habits, Krefft states that in spite 

 of its strong claws, the Striped Bandicoot seldom digs holes ex- 

 cept in search of its food, which comprises bulbous roots, plants, 

 and insects. Nocturnal and social in its wild state, this animal, 

 according to the writer quoted, bears captivity well, and be- 

 comes an adept in Mice-catching. He observe^ that the 

 Bandicoot " would tumble the Mice about with its fore paws, 

 break their hind legs, and eat generally the head only. I have 

 seen a single individual kill as many as twenty Mice In a very 

 short time, breaking their bones successively, after which it 

 would satisfy its hunger." 



The young are born from May to August, and are generally 

 from two to four in number, although the female has upwards 

 of eight teats. 



In captivity a specimen lived chiefly on insects and raw 

 meat, which were encircled by the long tongue and conveyed 



