ORDER MARSUPIALIA: MARSUPIALS 95 



indefinite numbers in the east along the South Australian border 

 and likewise in the northwestern part of the latter state. 



General color of fur, especially on hind quarters and under parts, 

 rich sandy buff; head and back grizzled with grayish white; body 

 beset, especially posteriorly, with numerous long, rich rufous hairs; 

 space about eye reddish buff; ears large, grayish brown externally; 

 feet yellowish buff. Total length, 698 mm.; tail, 266 mm. (Gould, 

 1844a,p. 32.) 



Stirling and Zietz (1893, pp. 154-155) record four specimens from 

 Western Australia ; they were taken during the Elder Expedition "in 

 the Porcupine grass (Triodia irritans) country, south of the Barrow 

 Range, before the exploring party entered the Victoria Desert. . . . 



"Mr. Streich informs us that this animal appears to be numerous 

 in the northern parts of the Victoria Desert, where it often falls the 

 prey to the Wedge-tailed Eagle." 



In an anthropological report on the same expedition, Helms says 

 (1896, pp. 240, 255-256) : 



The Blyth Range, Barrow Range, and Victoria Desert tribes inhabit "spini- 

 fex country," where subsistence is difficult to maintain, and but for the 

 numerously occurring Largochestes [sic] hirsutus . . . and some other small 

 marsupials, it would probably be impossible for them to live in such desolate 

 districts. It can scarcely be wondered at that the majority of them appeared 

 lean and starvation-stricken. . . . 



The Largochestes is almost, if not totally, absent here [in the vicinity of 

 Victoria Spring] ; and some 150 to 200 miles to the north, the eagle-nests, 

 which we had previously noticed daily, disappeared, which at once proved 

 the decrease of these small marsupials. . . . 



Throughout the greater part of the interior, as far as the Expedition 

 went, their [the blacks'] principal flesh-food is supplied by the small marsupials 

 that harbor under the Zn'ocfoa-tussocks, and are commonly called "spinifex 

 wallabies" (Largochestes hirsutus), occurring abundantly in many places in 

 the triodia-regiou. . . . The blacks are very expert at killing the animals with 

 the "turtimbo," or short throwing-stick .... To enable them better to get 

 at this game they constantly burn large patches of the "spinifex" grass. 



Shortridge (1910, p. 819; map, p. 820) considers the "mainland 

 form almost, if not entirely, extinct. Said possibly to still occur 

 very sparingly on sand-plains to the east of Beverley and York 

 where within quite recent times it was fairly plentiful. 



"A single specimen was recorded from Hastings, near Kojonup, 

 in 1896, by the Perth Museum." 



Glauert states (1933, p. 27) : "It has long disappeared from the 

 York district, where the first specimens were collected by Gilbert, 

 but survives in the desert country near the South Australian border, 

 and along the Canning Stock Route." 



Finlayson (1935, pp. 63-67) gained experience with the species 

 in the northwest of South Australia. "The maala [L. hirsutus], 

 though common in the more westerly spinifex tracts, is not often 

 taken east of the [Aboriginal] Reserves." Much time was spent in 



