1909.] OP MARSUPIALS AND MONOXREMES IX S.W.AUSTRALIA. 845 



The numerous recent remains at the bottoms of the circular 

 precipices around the mouths of many of the Mai'garet River 

 caves, even of the large marsupials, including J/«cro/J^^s giganteus, 

 M. hrachyiirus, Potorous gllberti, Trichosurus, Fseudochirus, 

 Isoodon, (Ccmis dingo), as well as small rodents and marsupial 

 mice, give an idea of the enormous destruction caused by bush 

 fires. In the same district, w'hile walking through a ti-act of 

 countiy that had been burnt off, I picked up 18 burnt bodies of 

 Pseudochirus, as well as odd individuals of other species. 



Sminthopsis crassicaudata Gld. (Text-fig. 275.) 



Apparently rare in Western Australia where, however, it seems 

 to have a wide range. 



Differing from S. mitrina in frequenting dry sandy and often 

 treeless districts. 



The Perth Museum has two specimens from Day Da war and 

 Dongarra, while it was originally obtained by Gilbert in the 

 Williams district. 



Occurring, according to natives, on the coastal sand-plains to 

 the east of Albany. 



2 specimens collected. (In Perth Museum — from Centi'al 

 South Australia, where it also occurs.) 



Myrmecobius fasciatus Waterh, (Text-fig. 276, p. 846.) 



Diurnal. Fairly numerous, although rather scattered, through- 

 out the inland forest districts of the .South-W est, especially Avhere 

 the prevailing trees are the White Gum {Eucalyptus redunca) and 

 the Jam {Acacia acuminata). 



Not extending to the West Coast. 



Becoming raie to the north of Beverley, a few being said, how- 

 ever, to still occur as far north as Wathei-oo. 



According to natives this species at one time extended into the 

 interior, while the Perth Museum has an old specimen obtained 

 from near Coolgardie. 



Although a forest animal it is not arboreal, never climbing 

 trees ; when alarmed generally making for the nearest hollow 

 log. Its habit of sitting up to watch anything gives it a great 

 resemblance to an African Meerkat. 



ISTot naturally timid, and unless startled by a sudden movement, 

 it is often possible to approach within a few yards. If caught alive, 

 it does not attempt to bite. 



The natives say that during the breeding- season it makes a 

 rather shallow perpendicular hole in the ground which the female 

 lives in when she has young, and that when they begin to groAV 

 big she does not cai-ry them about with her. 



Dr. G. 0. )Stirling, of the Adelaide Museum, tells me that the 

 South Australian specimens were mostly obtained near the north- 

 west bend of the River Murray, where it was formerly plentiful, 

 but that it must be now either very rare or entirely extinct, as 

 it has not been obtained there fOr many yeai'S. 



