MA Mih-lnmiid, Wifh relatively low 

 Lfall reliability, I here arc no per- 

 manent streams and tew Springs, 

 vv'acrcourses mav remain dry tm 



liir ,, periods When rainfall b ttWtJP- 



Rjggjjt W induce run-off. There is a 

 m lying iitca of marshy ground 

 utee surf ttW water mas persist for 

 some tune except U"dei very dry 

 conditions. 



The (Crratn is undulating to hilly 

 «,lh sortie flat terrace Mirtaees. These 

 Mttci have been cleared loi farming: 

 jttjvrlitS lor a long period. Orchards 



rc fr«qucnl Along the West Arm 

 At the time of observation nilher 

 „ 10k . ihan half was not cleared 

 though used for rough grazing. Oich 

 ;Ul | blocks were separated hy nature 

 imps, and hedges. Several lulls of 

 Jolcme rock have a thin brown-red. 

 ,,i black clay so.l. I he remainder of 

 [he area is occupied by sandv loam 

 in line sandy loam in part on terrace 

 .uirtaccs and hill slopes above the 

 River and West Ami. or gravels ami 

 tSOi) yiavels on ridges at 200 feel 

 June water level, passing down to 

 IhO feet. Heavy wet sandy loams 

 occur in hollows and marshy areas 

 I'ihIaiK and pod/olic soils with clav 

 "B horizon arc picsent. 



Areas ol poor drainage, or congre- 

 gated drainage suppoil dcn.se Meln- 

 jcuia scrub, which has been almost 

 impencr.ihlc Some guns are present 

 here, tn somewhat less dense areas 

 yrvnind cover is commonly of large 

 clumps ol loiig-hroad-hladcd species 

 curving to the ground to fonu 

 natural tunnels. A thick mat of 

 leaves, sticks and litter covet die sur- 

 face. 



On sandy sir,| slopes Hvrc is a 



peppermint tEhcttb'PUh mys^nHnnjf' 



shcoke I ( mmi'im) I -blackwood M« i;- 

 rib) attncfolion. with an imdetscoicv 

 .11 ..hn.ih.s rarely including Miflnbnum, 

 This is very dense id low levels. 



January. 1971 



loimiiig an almost closed canopy bin 

 Ibnuiing with elevaiion In one port 

 ol the area the .scleiophvil EOKSI 

 changes to a stringy-bark {t-nc,il\p- 

 fi/j iihliqiui) dominated association. 

 Here a large hedge ol Ciipir.\.ui.\ 

 trees fringes an orchiird and forms u 

 dense shade. 



On the gravel ridges the scleio 

 phyll forest thins, and the ground 

 cover is dominated by heath species. 

 Sunlight penetrates readily W the 

 ground, and the nhserver mav move 

 readily. "Ihe dolcrite hilLs support a 

 similar fotest. with scrub under - 

 storey on lower slopes, Here the 

 open areas are covered with a native 

 grass ground cover, tn some STSW 

 the scrub understorev may be lairly 

 dense, hul it i.s not continuous ami 

 sunlight penetrates icadilv I bis i<. m 

 sharp contrast to the lower arcs ol 

 dens.- cover where shade bi perma- 

 nent. 



|i is noticeable thai two tvpes of 

 cover are available. The one ol more 

 or less low levels of dense so lib 

 fringed In dense forest where thcte 

 ts virtual permanent shade, and 

 ground cover is a foot or ItlOV deep. 

 |hc second is of open lores! On 

 higher well diained areas with ground 

 cover of heaih or grasses where sun- 

 light penetration is high. The diller- 

 ences aie due to factors of soils and 

 drainage with height hemg or thpipi 

 M-miticanec There are therefoic two 

 types of habitat available in the 

 tftca. Graduations in constitU'ion of 

 these seem ol little importance and 

 ire ignored. 



(h) Ihe habitat of Ihe Hclloile. 



The Mcltong is appnrcntlv fejj 

 common in thr .irea ihan Ihe Poio- 

 roo, but ls more siricllv mietiiiiial iu 

 liahit. litis may jocount lor the 

 iiduced number ohscived. Subse- 

 quent observations seem to support 

 ibis Thb relalionshi|) in nnmbcis is 



