30 



S-MITHSOXIAX MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. "2 



kindly offered to take me with liim and is only interested in the natural history, 

 it will be a great chance for me to get not only the adults but also the young 

 and possibly an egg. Mr. Burrell is after their nesting habits and is taking 

 men along to dig out the burrow^s. It is safe to say that there is not another 

 man who knows as much as he about the duck-bill. 



" Nine weeks were spent in the Wandandian region ( i(> miles S. W. of 

 Norwra. X. S. W.) with the result of but one hundred and thirty one (131) 

 mammals, and one hundred and twenty-four (124) birds collected. Among 

 the mammals ten genera and twelve species are represented in my collection. 



" The greatest agent working toward the extermination of the native animals 

 is the fox, next comes the cattle and sheep men who distribute poison by the 



Fig. 30. — .\n Australian marsupial with parachute 

 membrane like that of the fl_ving stiuirrel. 



cartload in tlie effort to reduce the rabbits. This has also caused or helped 

 to cause the extermination of some of the ground inhabiting birds. Another 

 great agent is the bush fires which sweep over the country. These are often 

 lit intentionally in order to clear out the undergrowth and tlni> increase the 

 grass. 



"Owing to the great increase in the price of rabbit skins and the conse(iueni 

 increase in trappers the rabbits are fast ceasing to be a pest, and in some 

 sections have become quite scarce. The foxes, which are everywhere nu- 

 merous, after killing off the native mammals are now turning to the rabbits, 

 which also helps in their reduction. The extermination of the native mam- 

 mals has apparently gone much farther than is generally thought. Many 

 species that were plentiful only a few years ago are now almost, if not alto- 



