186 RAMBLES TO CHAMPION BAY 



be a variety of the Queensland rat {Xeromys myoides). It 

 agrees with that species in most points except size, it 

 being much smaller than the Oueensland kind. Both 

 these rats (perhaps the last named is a mouse) are 

 numerous in this country, sometimes being found in 

 what seemed to be colonies. They live in holes in the 

 earth, and are omnivorous. 



In the scrub near the woods the jumping rat (Hapalotis 

 genus: I am not sure of the species) is numerous but 

 local. None were seen until we had certainly passed the 

 28th latitude. Then we saw patches of scrub jungle in 

 which they swarmed, jumping away from before us like 

 huge grasshoppers. Many leaped at least thirteen or 

 fourteen feet, rising six or seven in the air. This 

 animal also lives in colonies ; for, after passing through a 

 patch of jungle, perhaps a mile wide, which was alive with 

 them, we would see no more for several days. Where 

 there was one there was sure to be many. This rat was 

 about seven inches long, exclusive of the tail, of a fawn 

 colour, and not pouched. It inhabited the thickest scrub, 

 and waited until almost trodden on before taking its leap. 

 Then perhaps half a dozen sprang together into the air 

 all in different directions, and with such startling sudden- 

 ness that the horses were rendered restless, and with 

 angry snorts intimated their dislike of the active little 

 rodents. 



The birds in this part of the country were very 

 numerous, including cockatoos, parrots, pigeons, and 

 hawks, with ducks and other water-fowl near the water- 

 holes at night-time. In the morning the ducks were 

 seen flying northward and north-eastward in flocks of 

 twenty to three or four hundred, which led us to think 

 there must be lakes or marshes in the country in those 

 directions. Why they should come to pass the night in 

 dry river-beds, where there were only a few small water- 

 holes, I cannot conjecture ; but they did so. They were 

 so shy that during the whole journey we only succeeded 

 in shooting four or five, and these were surprised in the 

 dusk of evening. On one occasion I heard them flying 



