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sand were hard, run a little way fairly quickly ; but wherever 

 the surface was soft it would begin burrowing directly, and, as 

 soon as it had got a fair start, it progressed with great rapidity, 

 though not so quickly as is suggested by a statement recorded in 

 my previous paper. 



1 had specially commissioned Mr. Bishop to make all possible 

 endeavor to secure a female with young, or at least to ascertain 

 from the natives something about its breeding habits, but in 

 spite of strenuous efforts he has not been able to acquire any 

 information on the subject. Indeed none of the natives ques- 

 tioned had ever seen the young. 



Incidentally it is mentioned that the depth of coloring and the 

 darker markings about the hind quarters vary somewhat in 

 different individuals, a fact which is confirmed by the examples 

 received. I may further state that, in one or two of the more 

 recent specimens, the lustre of the fur, especially about the belly 

 and the rump, is so bright and so beautifully variable in tint, 

 according to the incidence of light, as to invite the use of 

 the term iridescent. The blacks also state that larger specimens 

 than those found at Idracowra are met with further up the 

 Finke watercourse, 



I have received also a rough sketch of the tracks made by it 

 in the sand, which conforms to the description already given. 



In spite of the hopes, raised by this account of Mr. Bishop's 

 successful management, that he would be able to bring this living 

 specimen to Adelaide, we have been doomed to disappointment, 

 for a letter received last month conveyed the disappointing news 

 of its death. Having been uninterruptedly well during its 

 captivity, it was found torpid and evidently ailing one morning 

 after a heavy gale ; it remained in this condition and died on the 

 following day, after having endured a confinement lasting from 

 the 15th June to 28th August, or a little over ten weeks. The 

 animal seemed to maintain its condition throughout, and the only 

 change in it observable was a decided increase in the length of 

 the claws, which seemed to grow from disuse. This made its 

 later movements more awkward than at first. 



I may add, with regret, that Mr. Bishop anticipated that the 

 prevailing dry weather would prevent his being able to repeat 

 his experiment before the date of his leaving Idracowra, about 

 the end of October. I must again express my indebtedness to 

 him for so many interesting and very carefully recorded facts. 



The following observations were made from a specimen, 12'75 

 cm. long, that had been preserved in glycerine and spirit. An in- 

 cision had been made through the walls of the abdomen to allow 



