﻿tg6 ALLEN^s naturalist's librarV. 



called by the blacks, was first discovered by Mr. Coiilthard, 

 manager of some of the estates of the Willowic Pastoral Com- 

 pany, who, on reaching his camp one evening on the Finke 

 river, was attracted by certain peculiar and unfamiliar tracks. 

 On following these up he found a Mole-like animal lying be- 

 neath a tuft of porcupine-grass, or spinifex. Other specimens were 

 subsequently obtained by Mr. Bishop in the same neighbour- 

 hood, distant about a thousand miles from Adelaide; the country 

 consisting of flats and dunes of red sand, covered with porcu- 

 pine-grass and acacias, and the rainfall being small. Most of 

 the specimens have been captured by the natives, who track 

 them after rain, when their trail is conspicuous in the sand. 

 The creature seems to be on the move only in warm 

 weather, so that the short rainy season in the summer ap- 

 pears to be the one most favourable for its capture. At such 

 seasons it appears to be perpetually engaged in burrowing; 

 " emerging from the sand, it travels on the surface for a few 

 feet, at a slowish pace, with a peculiar sinuous motion, the 

 belly much flattened against the ground while it rests on the 

 outsides of its fore paws, which are thus doubled in under it. 

 It leaves behind it a peculiar sinuous triple track, the outer 

 impressions, more or less interrupted, being caused by the 

 feet, and the central continuous line by the tail, which seems 



to be pressed down in the rear It enters the sand 



obliquely and travels underground either for a few feet or for 

 many yards, not apparently reaching a depth of more than two 

 or three inches, for whilst underground its progress can often 

 be detected by a slight cracking or moving of the surface over 

 its position. In penetrating the soil, free use, as a borer, is 

 made of the conical snout with its horny protecting shield, and 

 the powerful scoop-like fore paws are also early brought into 

 play. As it disappears from sight, the hind limbs, as well, are 

 used to throw the sand backwards, which falls in again behind 



