A NATURALIST’S 
NOTES 
FROM THE BUSH. 
Written and Illustrated 
with Photographs by 
CYRIL GRANT WANE.* 
I. THE AUSTRALIAN 
BUSH-RAT. 
HE Australian bush-rat is a little smaller than the well-known English brown rat, 
but its fur is of much finer quality, and of a somewhat slaty hue upon the back. 
So strictly nocturnal are the habits of this little animal that it is difficult to 
obtain much reliable information respecting it—indeed I believe few bushmen are even 
acquainted with its general appearance. Nevertheless, my night wanderings in various 
parts of the Victorian bush have supplied me with a knowledge of some of its 
peculiarities which may be deemed worthy of comment. My first introduction to this 
animal was in a certain log hut, where I was much worried by these inquisitive 
little beasts, which disported themselves in every part of the hut, continually uttermg a 
peculiar short, mewing cry. Z 
Various attitudes into which the animal throws itself while scenting for food, in 
the act of listening, or climbing, serve to show how extremely supple the little 
creature’s body is. At one moment it may be seen huddled into a furry ball, the 
next elongated to inelegant proportions in its efforts to reach objects in difficult positions. 
While reading or writing by the light of a slush-hght, I used to watch, at 
intervals, the incautious little creatures working their way all round the log-work of 
the hut, and their feats of climbing at such times were sufficient to suggest that 
there is a large amount of truth in the statement that the bush-rat passes much of 
its time among the rough-barked timber so prolific among mountain gullies; in fact, 
while out ‘“’possuming” on moonlight nights, I have watched them chasing each 
other with surprising agility along the heavier limbs of the wattle trees. 
T am inclined to think—though I cannot state that such is invariably the case— 
that the bush-rat is particularly fond of building its nest (a construction of soft 
material such as fibrous bark, skeleton leaves, wattle blossom, etc.) in a decaying 
stump, hollow lmb of a tree, or, in accordance with the geological nature of the 
locality, among the lchen-lined crevices of granite rock; also it is thought by some 
that the animal burrows, making a snug nest beneath the surface of the ground, which 
I think is not unlikely in situations where the soil is sufficiently soft and yielding. 
The animal is a vegetarian, but that does not prevent him from making raids on 
the hutter’s “tucker,’ edibles of all descriptions proving anything but distasteful to 
him, judging by the results of his depredations. Only once have I seen the bush-rat 
in captivity. This was when I captured a full-grown doe in the act of thieving my 
tinned jam by clapping my hand over the opening of the tin, thus entrapping the 
animal. I do not forget, either, that I received a sharp bite upon the finger from her 
long incisor teeth, which caused the blood to flow with considerable freedom. 
*Previous articles by the same writer have appeared in Anrman Lirn, Vol. I., p. 304 (“The Wombat”), 
and in Vol. II., p. 67 (‘Three Common Reptiles of the Australian Bush’’). 
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