130 J. B. CLELAND. 
specifically that those responsible in 1895 belonged to an 
Australian species, <Ascopharynx (Notomys) cervinus 
Gould. They say :—‘‘Periodically, one species will ap- 
pear in enormous numbers, forming migratory hordes. In 
1895, for example, Mr. Byrne, writing from Charlotte 
Waters, said ‘the Jerboa-like rats are coming from the east- 
wards, and they almost amount to a plague here.’ These 
periodic migrations of rats are well known in many parts 
of the dry interior of Australia. They march on and on, 
along a definite course, as the Lemmings do in Europe, ap- 
pearing and disappearing almost suddenly. Those which 
escape the birds: of prey that follow them, probably perish 
finally from lack of food and water, for impelled by some 
instinct, they march straight ahead, utterly regardless of 
whether there is food or not.”’ 
The 1904 Visitation of Rats at Alice Springs, S.A.—I am 
idebted to Mr. E. A. Allchurch, of Hergott Springs, through 
Mr. J. C. B. Moncrieff, of Adelaide, for the following ac- 
count of a migratory horde of rats at Alice Springs in 1904. 
As far as Mr. Allchurch remembered, the pest first appear- 
ed in September. He says:—‘‘First there were just one 
or two stragglers. Then we noticed that they appeared 
everywhere. The first few we were able to destroy. Then 
we tried to check them with poison, and all sorts of devices, 
but these were of no avail. After a few days, everything 
green, or growing, of any description was eaten clean out. 
Our small vegetable garden disappeared in quick time. They 
then started on any kind of leather, such as harness and 
saddles, and on clothing, and were particularly keen on 
anything with a little grease on it. Eventually they were 
so bad that we could hardly use our beds, and I remember 
trying to place pieces of zine around the legs of my wooden 
stretcher, but they took no notice of these. Eventually, we 
found, by placing high pieces of zinc (from old zine cases) 
