k v,l. Wallabies live in three 

 JJag „, the area, each home being 



puniest a" 1 ' um,cr dL>t ' lcnci1 " 1ck - 

 Ji-jsejj which have fallen together 

 irtiotl or ncur the buses of perpeu- 

 AfcMS or overhanging elifis (see 

 gfo. J ami 5) I his is precisely the 

 kl nj of habitat described by Thomas 

 lit 1867. 



Much of the outcropping rock 

 ,|jDl]| and above the actual homes 

 a irregularly weathered to form 

 rtrtjeflttens and ledges. Herbage and 

 shrubbery grow where soil has 

 .ceiinuilated, and a sparse scattering 

 fl | faeces ind.eates thai the wallabies 

 range widely over lhe.se outcrops to 

 gnfte and browse On the vegetation. 



long-leaf Box i Euuilypni\ g&Hto 

 calyx) grows amongst the rock 

 masses, and numerous small speci- 

 mens of Oyster-buy Pine <C«//nnv 

 fhnmhouh-u) form thickets Mytta- 

 EBOHS shrubs such as Totem-poles 

 IMtlflteUko 4it Thryptomcne 

 IT. catyritui) and Fringe-myrtle 

 (Ta/vr/i'v /r/M/.cn'rm) arc in associa- 

 lion, as well as Wedge-leaf Hep-hush 

 {Dotlnnwu cuneut'i) and Hop Good- 

 Miia (G. ov/iw). Three grasses grow 

 about the rocks: Fihrous Spear-grass 

 (Siiiw Kcmthaihohi) Uristly Wallaby 

 gn$ ilhinihonin vewoi <i ) - and a 

 mssock grass of the flflfl *ttfffirfft 

 complex: but none is plentiful On 

 somewhat deeper soils, above and 

 below the mtiin outcrops. Brown 

 Stringybatk (Eiioilynlus buxtrri) pre- 

 dominates, and there is ju ahumlancc 

 nl hcathland sbrubbcr\. includint: 

 Silkv Tea-tree (Lerwsp,-ntiUl» mmf- 

 i and Hakea species. 



Anuly^i of imnl 



Faeces wen- collected at randot^ 

 lion thioughool the colons aiea, 

 both in ami about living places and 

 Ml open rn,k outcrops. Small as 

 ■rfj js huge pellets were M'"eeic<i. 



Ap'il W\ 



atid about one-third of the sample 

 taken were grey in colout. indicating 

 dun they were comparatively old. 

 Forty pellets were treated, each 

 hemg broken apart and a sample 

 taken of Ihe contents. The fragments 

 comprising each sample were sorted 

 out under a binocular dissectoi and 

 as many fragments : ' s possible were 

 idcntilied at species level by com- 

 parison with samples of vegetation 

 found growing in the colony area. 



Gr.iss fragments comprised appioxi 

 matcly 90 percenl of the total 

 sample of faecal material analysed. 

 These fragments, representing both 

 Stems and leaves of grass, were 

 mostly about 1 mm. long, and it is 

 this material which is responsible for 

 the flecking of lighter colour appar- 

 ent on the surface of comparatively 

 fresh faecal pellets. Most grass frag- 

 ments which were specifically identi- 

 fied were of Sltpa ■<,?<nihdihaia. the 

 most abundant grass in the colony 

 area. A few specific identifications 

 were made of D«nfhoni<i .ctaceu hat 

 none of the Poa .species. It was 

 noted that the Danihnniu, though 

 compaiativcly scarce, was closely 

 cropped in part? of the colons - are* 

 fragments of foliage of mvrta- 

 eeoits shruhs were found in two 

 (hints of the faecal pellets. Mosi of 

 them were of Rosy Heath- my it le 

 \Raeckea rumostesimu) . a species 

 quite uncommon 10 'he colony area 

 but heavily cropped wherever il 

 grew. Onlv fl few fragments each of 

 LvptospiTWi'n m\iHiwi(ics. Sfefo' 

 U*UP tfiLiHsntn and Culytri* jetru- 

 Xyna were found .u the lueces. des- 

 pite their ill being abundant in the 

 ttroj- 



Seeds and fragments of the cap- 

 Miles ol I'igmy Purslane tCtildB- 

 (ftinlH ttl von'Ki I were lonnd in more 

 than h»M the lat-ecs exammcd Fvtd- 

 ..„tu ibc wallabies are partial hj U« 



99 



