12 VERTEBRATA OF THE LOWER MURRAY, 



named river : and, as far as my inquiries among the natives 

 went, has never occupied that part of the country. It does not 

 now inhabit any part of Victoria, and I think the Murray may 

 be taken as its southern boundary. A quarrel existed between 

 the Darling natives and the tribe which accompanied me, so that 

 I was not able to procure any live specimens of this singular 

 animal, but its existence is proved sufficiently. I have been in- 

 formed by Mr. Scott, the owner of a Station at Tapio, about 80 

 miles from the Darling Junction, that the Banded Myrmecobius is 

 by no means rare ; and that the natives could procure specimens 

 for me ; but a few bad skins were all I obtained. 



How many young ones the female produces, and with how 

 many teats she is furnished, I am unable to say ; the only fact 

 proved is, that the range of Myrmecobius fasciatus is not limited 

 to the West Coast, and, that according to the natives, it is not 

 nocturnal in its habits. 



9. CH^EOPUS OCCIDENTALIS. 

 The Eastern Chseropus. 

 Landwang (native name.) 



This singular animal which Sir Thomas Mitchell first dis- 

 covered in his expedition to the Darling, June 16, 1836, is still 

 found on the plains of the Murray ; though it is exceedingly 

 rare, and is disappearing as fast as the native population. The 

 large flocks of sheep and herds of cattle occupying the country 

 will soon disperse those individuals which are still to be found 

 in the so-called settled districts, and it will become more and 

 more difficult to procure specimens for our national collection. 



During a period of six months, I encamped not far from the 

 spot where Sir Thomas Mitchell secured his tail-less animal. I 

 had the greatest difficulty in obtaining a few specimens, but 

 succeeded at last, and as I believe that nobody has ever been 

 able to observe the habits of this singular creature in a state of 

 nature, I will quote from my diary, October 4th, 1857 : 



" After returning from a short excursion into the scrub, I fell 

 in with a party of natives who had succeeded, at last, in securing 

 a pair of the Chwropus, (male and female.) They wanted all 

 manner of things for them, from a pair of blankets to a cutty 



