32 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS 



VOL. 72 



" The country at Bulliac is a good example of what the cattle men will do 

 in a few years time in killing off and burning the timber and the consequent 

 destruction of animal life. Five years ago Bulliac was a virgin forest but 

 then the railroad was built and now it is devoid of living trees for miles on 

 each side of the track except for small and scattered patches in the more 

 inaccessible gullies which form the last resort of the fast disappearing mam- 

 mals. There are very few game laws in Australia and no one gives any 

 attention to the ones that are in order. The Bulliac trip has clearly shown 

 that the edge of the settlements, and even a short way into the wilds, is no 

 better than the older settled parts and in order to get results one must go 

 into the wilds. It is the killing and Inirning of the brush, by the cattle men, 

 that does the most to kill off the animals, and they are yearly reaching farther 

 and farther away from the railroads. One thing that was very noticeable was 

 the great abundance of the introduced rats. They seem to have driven out or 

 killed off practically all the native rats and I found them everywhere. 



Fig. 32. — Skinning a kangaroo. 



" A trip was made primarily for the eggs and young of the Platypus. 

 Fifty miles of bank was searched and approximately one hundred burrows 

 were dug out only six of which contained young. These six burrows furnished 

 eleven young of which Mr. Harry Burrell, of Sydney, with whom the trip 

 was made, secured 7 while I secured 4. The intense drought which has 

 scarcely been broken for over twelve months (it is the worst since 1862) 

 has advanced the breeding of the animals somewhat so we were too late for 

 eggs. The Platypus although scarce is not by any means nearing extinction 

 and if they continue to be protected there is every hope that they 

 will never become extinct. Young Hydromys were also looked for but the 

 drought seems to have interfered witli their breeding and but two embryos 

 were obtained. The adults themselves were very scarce and but six specimens 

 were obtained. 



The accompanying" photographs show some of the characteristic 

 Austrahan mammals obtained by Mr. Hoy. 



G. S. Miller, Jr. 



