138 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 
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 Casuarine 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 difficult 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.” 
“‘Tts food consists of insects, seeds, &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 observes 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 
