ORDER MARSUPIALIA: MARSUPIALS 31 



"These little animals ... are caught in large numbers by the 

 aborigines ... of King George's Sound" (Krefft, 1871, p. [41]). 



Shortridge (1910, pp. 842-844; map, p. 843) speaks of it as 

 "occurring throughout the South -West; appears to be more plenti- 

 ful in the coastal districts wherever grass-trees (Xanthorrhoea) 

 occur .... 



"On account of their habit of hiding among fallen timber or 

 tree-stumps, the marsupial mice must invariably get exterminated 

 wherever bush fires occur. This species, as well as Dromicia and 

 the small Phascogales, has consequently become very scarce, espe- 

 cially in the agricultural and more thickly populated areas. In addi- 

 tion it is probably to a great extent killed off by the cats that have 

 run wild in large numbers." 



More recently, however, Glauert (1933, p. 20) considers it still 

 "a very common species in the South- West." 



Gilbert (in Gould, 1863, vol. 1, p. 48) found it insectivorous. 



SMINTHOPSIS MURINA CONSTRICTA Spencer 



Sminthopsis murina var. constricta Spencer, Kept. Horn Sci. Exped. Central 

 Australia, pt. 2, zool., p. 33, 1896. ("Oodnadatta," South Australia.) 



General coloration similar to that of S. m. murina; foot broader; 

 a small tuft of white hairs on posterior face of forearm; tail in- 

 crassated. Head and body, 71 mm.; tail, 80 mm. (Spencer, 1896, 

 p. 33.) 



In his original description of constricta, Spencer mentions only 

 the single specimen from Oodnadatta, but on a previous page 

 (1896, p. 32) he records a specimen of "S. murina" from Alice 

 Springs, Central Australia, which perhaps belongs to the same 

 form. He adds that the species "does not appear to be common 

 in the central district." 



No additional information concerning the present subspecies 

 seems to have come to light since its discovery was announced more 

 than 45 years ago. 



Long-tailed Sminthopsis 



SMINTHOPSIS LONGICAUDATA Spencer 



Sminthopsis longicaudatus Spencer, Proc. Royal Soc. Victoria, n. s., vol. 21, 

 pt. 2, p. 449, 1909. ("West Australia.") 



This little animal is known from only a single specimen, from 

 no more definite locality than "West Australia." 



General body color gray, tinged with rufous in parts; a darkish 

 line through the eye; lips, chin, and feet white; tail scaly, with 



