11»09.] OF MARSUPIALS AXD MOXOTUEMES IN S.W. AUSTRALIA. 831 



Avherever belts of eucalypti fiinged the banks of creeks, but now 

 almost, if not entirely, confined to the south-western corner of 

 the State, a few stragglei-s only being found as fai- north as 

 Gin-Gin, and inland. 



The red patch on the throat appeai-s only in adult individuals 

 (not visible from the undei'side of the skin), often becoming more 

 or less suffused over the fur of the whole body with age, and 

 similar to the throat-gland of Myrmecohms in being very much 

 less distinct and often entirely absent in the females. 



Old males will occasionally take to living in deserted burrows 

 or crevices among rocks, being known to Colonists as Ground 

 Opossums. 



Melanism, which is apparently more common in the females, 

 seems to be of far moi'e freqvient occurrence in the coastal 

 districts of the extreme South- West, where almost twenty per 

 cent, of the Opossums obtained are black. 



Albinos occasionally occur, while specimens with white tail-tips 

 are veiy common, being in many localities even more plentiful 

 than the normal variety. The black- and white-tailed varieties 

 are said to be very rare in South Australia. 



Although not as a i-ule very active among the branches of trees, 

 when disturbed at night they will generally climb to the topmost 

 branches, evidently with a view of getting as far from danger as 

 possible, rather than of hiding among thick foliage, so that it is 

 easy to discover and shoot them on moonlight nights. They have 

 a, distinct and rathei- peculiar cry which is often heard at night, 

 very much resembling that of the South African Tree-dassie 

 [Procavia arhorea). 



The usual method of trapping- "possums is by fastening a wii-e 

 snare on a stick placed against a tree on the sloping side by 

 which they invai-iably descend ; as the stick is in a still more 

 slanting position, they leave the tree for the easier means of 

 descent and get caught in the snare. 



88 specimens collected. Mt. Barker ; Albany (King River) ; 

 Beverley (Boyadine-Dale River) (Stoclqjool) ; Brookton (Dwala- 

 dine) ; Pinjelly (Woyaline Wells) ; Busselton (Yallingup) ; 

 Margaret River (Burnside). 



Grey or Black 'Possum of Colonists. 



' Koomaal ' of natives. 



Thalacomys lagoxis Reid. (Text-fig. 265, p. 832.) 



The only true bui-rowing marsuj^ial in the South- West with 

 the exception of Bettongia lesueuri (the Bandicoots dig pits in the 

 ground in search of roots and insects, but they do not make or 

 live in burrows). Thalacomys makes a larger and deeper bui-row 

 than Bettongia ; the entiance also is almost perpendicular foi- 

 about two feet and then takes a side turn at light angles. Like 

 a badger, it is difficult to dig for, and will often burrow as fast as 

 a man can disf. 



