THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



195 



MAMMALS. 



At our camp the rats, which were in 

 great numbers, proved to be a common 

 bush species (Rattus assimilis), the 

 difference between their soft fur and the 

 coarse bristly coat of the common 

 introduced brown rat (Rattus rattus) 

 making identification easy. We set 

 numerous traps and would frequently 

 be aroused at night by the crack of one 

 of them, indicating the sudden end of 

 an unfortunate rodent who had been 

 injudicious enough to try the raisin 

 bait. 



Rats were not our only visitors ; one 

 night a scrambling noise on the tin roof 

 told us that some animal was abroad. 

 We decided to investigate the cause, so 

 Avith electric torches we sallied forth, 

 and there on the roof sat a ring-tailed 

 " opossum " {Pseudochirus peregrinus) 

 gazing with large luminous orbs into the 

 dazzling light as though fascinated by 

 it. He was allowed to depart in peace. 

 In the thick bush on the banks of 

 streams we frequently came across the 

 nests of this animal. 



TICKS AND LEECHES. 



Ticks and leeches were exceedingly 

 numerous in the scrub, and we usually 

 returned home with both animals well 

 represented on our clothing and bodies. 

 The ticks (Ixodes holocydus), popularly 

 known as the " Bush " or " Dog " tick, 

 were by far the most unpleasant, as 

 their removal invariably resulted in a 

 swelling, which in some cases persisted 

 for weeks. We had many wet days, 

 and during the rain the leeches would 

 stand stiff and straight on the grass 

 stems, and, on our brushing against 

 them, would immediately fasten on to 

 us and proceed to suck our blood. 

 They thrive only in damp situations and 

 aie unable to travel on dry dusty 

 surfaces, so that it was interesting to 

 see them enter the hut as far as the line 

 of dampness extended, and halt there, 

 pathetically waving their heads as they 

 sniffed our whereabouts. 



BLUE GUM KNOB. 



Collecting in the vicinity of the hut 

 having proved rather disa]>]iointing, we 

 decided to try our luck further afield, 

 so one sunny morning we set out for 

 Blue Gum Knob, a spur some two mile& 

 distant, which divides the Duggan's- 

 Gully Creek from the Wangat or Little 

 River. This spot proved to be a most 

 enchanting locality, tall blue-gums 

 rising like giant marble columns on 

 every side, dwarfing our tent into 

 insignificance. Insects were more con- 

 spicuous than on the lower slopes 

 among the brush, and the beautiful 

 green butterfly (Papilio macleayanus) 

 was a welcome sight as he hovered over 

 the yellow and white flowers of the 

 everlastings. 



One night, after setting the rat traps 

 in hopes of obtaining other species, we 

 started out with a small rifle and torch 

 in an endeavour to collect some Flying 

 Phalangers, or Flying Squirrels, as they 

 are erroneously called, for the Museum 

 collection. After wandering along the 

 track for awhile, we es]3ied one fairly 

 high up a gum-tree and a lucky shot 

 brought it to the ground ; the torch 

 helped us to pick our way down the 

 steep hillside through long grass and 

 fallen branches and showed the animal 

 to be a very nice S]Decimen of a female 

 Taguan Flying Phalanger (Petauroide» 

 volans). 



Its black and white fur looked most 

 beautiful and soft in the torchlight, but 

 fortunately for the animal it has little 

 or no market value, being too soft to 

 recover its position if it is flattened or 

 pushed to one side, and known tech- 

 nically as " dead " fur. Shortly after- 

 wards a second one rewarded our search, 

 and, as it proved to be a male, we re- 

 traced our steps. A third one, however, 

 with its black back and white under sur- 

 face making it look for all the world 

 like the cat immortalised by the artist 

 D. H. Souter, tempted our marksman- 

 ship, only to our immediate regret, for 

 it proved to be a second female with a 

 fully furred young one in its pouch. 

 This young "squirrel" became for a 



