419 



moles were obtained is narrated as follows by Captain White : 

 — "During the night of August 18, 1913, when we camped 

 near Crown Point, a shower of rain fell. Next morning one 

 of the natives from a camp situated in the sandy bed of the 

 Finke River brought me a dead marsupial mole. Questioned 

 as to where and how he found the specimen, the native made 

 me understand he had tracked it that morning and dug it 

 out of the sand. I at once set out with the black in search 

 of more. My guide took me back some little distance from 

 the Finke and began searching about for tracks, but after 

 trudging for two hours in the sand we started back for camp. 

 We had not gone far when my dusky companion gave a loud 

 grunt of satisfaction, and on reaching his side he pointed to a 

 small track in the sand. It was a strange track, not showing 

 any distinct footprints, and appeared as if the animal had 

 dragged its body along the ground, and as far as I was con- 

 cerned it might have been made by a mammal, bird, or 

 reptile, the track was so confusing. Not so with the native, 

 for he gave me to understand from the moment he came upon 

 it that it was made by a mole. He carefully followed it round 

 a few bushes of cane-grass and then it disappeared. This did 

 not trouble my guide in the least ; he put his spear and 

 womerah carefully on a bush and started to dig with his 

 hands in the sand. After a few minutes he stopped and 

 placed a stick along the horizontal passage evidently made by 

 the animal; he then dug a hole in the direction indicated by 

 the stick, and at about 2 ft. from the surface pulled out a 

 mole; when placed in my hand I am almost sure it made a 

 low squeaking noise. Taking the mole to the camp I .placed 

 it in a box with sand, and also put in the roots of a plant which 

 are roasted and eaten by the natives, who told me that the 

 mole would eat these yam-like roots. I looked at the mole in 

 the evening, but it was dead, and on examining the roots 

 found one had been nibbled. I had always looked upon the 

 animal as an insect eater." 



(c) Aves. (1) 

 By S. A. White, M.B.O.U. 

 Family DROMICEIID^. 



DROMICEIUS NOV^E-HOLLANDI^E (Emu). 



Most of the country passed over was far too dry for these 

 birds. A solitary bird was seen on Macumba, and a few on 



(i) The nomenclature of this section (Aves) is after Mr. Gregory 

 M. Mathews, F.R.S.E. 



02 



