., The tiab'm ol lhc W*ar$0! 



(Jreutcr numbers of Potoroo h*Vc 

 Lggj t*Setved thafl Beiiong. in day- 

 -^1 | UUI)N I'otoroo have been oh- 

 ji\cci onlv in areas of maximum 

 ^Jc, m eloscly nearby At night it 

 h ,, s been observed on roads and 

 tracks in the vicinity bf suitable areas, 

 r(1 ft'|y at any distance. 



The environment favoured by lhc 

 I'l.iuioo is one ol dense scrub or 

 lorwt where increase of moisture 

 i-nsuies prolific ground cover. Most 

 t»^0W«l nesting sites occur where 

 ||u ground is entirely covered and 

 „ Ull>1 l mnncls are termed between 

 ,, n ,| under overhanging blades of 

 total clumps. Nests are difficult or 

 ^possible to tiud even when an 

 annual has been disturbed. Those 

 found by the wniu base been found 

 bj accident. 



I he nest described by the wniei 

 [1952) was found Hi the stringy 

 bark (£. ohliqua) formation already 

 aw-ubcd. ou the bank of West Arm. 

 The animal took advantage of over- 

 hanging shrubs, grass tufts and rub- 

 hish which farmed a liiimel at the 

 loot of j tree. Earth was banked up 

 |lO close one end and a rough lining 

 ef soft grass was used The nearby 

 hedge ot Cuprr.\.-.u\ kxmheiihuw 

 accentuates ihc density ol c<nei and 



shade Hence it is m keeping with 

 other sites noted. 



On foraging ventures from the 

 nesting urea the route taken mav be 

 circuitous in order to take advantage 

 Of thickly vegetated drainage ditches 

 or 'nature strips". An animal ob- 

 served escaping from a rabbn trap 

 [eft a considerable poition ol leg. 

 and a trail of blood. To follow the 

 trail it was necessary to crawl for 

 more than one hundred yards. Only 

 once was the animal in the open 

 when crossing a narrow track. Finally 

 tt was lost in dense scrub iieai a 

 spring. A number of animals have 

 been seen in this rarely disiurbed 

 area. 



Discussion 



The Potoroo has been observed 

 more frequently in daylight than the 

 Bcttong 'Ibis may he due to the 

 nature of its habitat which provides 

 greater security. No animals have 

 been seen outside this habitat in full 

 day-light Because of difficulty of 

 penetration lew opportunities occur 

 for observing completely undisturbed 

 alii nals. Howevei. on one PGCasiOr] 

 iwo Bcttong were observed for at 

 least an hour. The animals scampered 

 about under shrubs and tufls ot 

 glass, around logs and other cover. 



Plulf 4. 



FtflgK uf hah.tai of 

 trie Potoroo. neti w. -t 



Jonu.iry, W!\ 



9 



