630 MR. P. D. MONTAGUE ON THE 
Owing to the general scarcity of life, in consequence of the arid 
conditions prevailing, it was often not possible to get a really 
sufficient number of specimens. Particularly in the case of 
insects, the matter is complicated by the fact that, where there 
is no great abundance of individuals, any collected at the same 
time and place are liable to be of the same brood. Thus all may 
exhibit a slight peculiarity, and give a false impression of 
uniformity in a character which may really be quite exceptional. 
MAMMALIA. 
There are now two indigenous animals inhabiting these islands, 
a Hare Wallaby, Lagorchestes conspicillatus (Gould)*, and a Bat, 
Liptesicus pumilus Gray. There was formerly a Bandicoot, 
Isoodon barrowensis 'Thom., which until very recently inhabited 
Hermite Island, but has now been exterminated. 
Of introduced species, cats and black rats (J/, rattus rattus) 
are numerous, and, as in other places, doing great damage 
to the endemic fauna, The brown rat (J/. decwmanus) has already 
established itself in a store-shed used by one of the pearling fleets, 
but it does not appear to be thriving, for all the examples 
observed were in a weak and diseased condition. 
1. LAGoRcHEsTES consPicILLatus (Gould). 
This species is closely allied to the more slender and agile 
rufous-coloured “subspecies” ZL. c. leichardti, which is widely 
distributed over tropical Australia. It is now confined to 
Hermite and Barrow Islands, and Mr. Oldfield Thomas, who has 
kindly identified the species, can detect no difference between 
examples from the two localities. There is a specimen in the 
British Museum, a co-type from the Gould collection, which is 
recorded as having been obtained from ‘ Trimouille I., Dampier 
Archipelago.” It is more than likely that this is a Monte Bello 
example, for there is no island of that name in the Dampier 
Archipelago, and on some of the older charts the Monte Bello 
Group is represented by a single island named ‘Trimouille. 
Whether it actually came from Trimouille, and not from Hermite 
Island, it is impossible to decide, but at the present time the 
species lives only on the latter, though old pearlers say that it 
was formerly abundant on the former. The majority of known 
specimens are from Barrow Island, where the species stil! occurs ; 
I am aware of no other locality. 
In habits it is nocturnal, hiding by day amongst the thick 
Spinifex-tutts, and coming out just after sunset to feed upon the 
bark and young shoots and foliage of various herbs and bushes. 
It is unlikely that it will exist for many years longer, as 
* The parentheses around the names of authors placed after scientific names im 
this paper are used in accordance with Article 23 of the International Rules of 
* Nomenclature (Proc. 7th Int. Cong. Boston, 1907, p. 44 (1912))—Eprtor. 
