of adllllS, US WC 5*W H 



ttypcifeld. chicks would have little 

 ■nance ol survival, but when there 

 AS few adults, more chicks could sur- 

 u\e Perhaps readers with some 

 experience of wild emu populations 



M Uroughton's Waterholc and sur- 

 flUrtdJllfi couniry in the I utlc Ocscrt. 

 tlart' was again evidence of a lair 

 a«aJ population of kangaroos, tracks 

 ttt re seen in many places, and 

 several animals were seen liom 

 chicles. No sightings or (racks of 

 emus were repotted' \ 



In order to check on the smaller 

 mammals in ihe area, a line of 40 

 traps (horrowed from S.A. Field 

 Naturalists Mammal filth) was set 

 each night. We caught three house 

 mice ( V/f/.v n>u\culn\) and five Silky, 

 or Ashy -Grey Mice ( I'.scuJomy . 

 nlho-umifiis, Ride). Ihe house mice 

 weic caught in the more open ground 

 near the camp, while the P.\at(towy\ 

 were caught among the clumps of 

 I'nrciipnic Grass { IrUhlui sp.i and 

 also in nea'hy dense herbage I hesc 

 niierv'siiiig Btttie nalivc rodents live 



•>n a It in nm Mken liV 



,.i tmtem-iWii Sts- 



m t A fe»mev It I"' 



Ml t,.i-kir 

 n ,i,,rl rtl c 



m long deep burrows in sandy soil, 

 w'ith several entrances 11) ft. or 12 ft. 

 apart. I hey apparently push all the 

 spoil Irom digging out of one hole, 

 which is then closed, and the result, 

 ing mound of soil, as much as 2 11 

 or more across hecomes a marker (0 

 observant seekers, while apparently 

 foiling predators. 



1 1 was very disappointing lo observe 

 the damage caused hy earlier collec- 

 tors, seeking Ihese mice. Whole 

 clumps of Tiuniht. covering many 

 square yards, had been dug out ill 

 the uithlcss searches, and 1 saw thiee 

 large trees left standing in excavated 

 pits, where the soil had been removed 

 to a depth of about two feet, m a 

 circular pit about 15 ft. radius from 

 the bun. leaving all the loots ex- 

 posed. One of Ihe locals told me 

 'lie University had been up looking 

 for Silky Mite and Hopping Mice". II 

 i.s had to leave so much destruction 

 behind, and a great pity thnt Ihe 

 collectors did not al least replace 

 the soil removed from around the 

 trees. 1 csnnoi believe that such 

 methods ale justilicd in collecting 

 specimens, even *'tn Ihe name of 



fete 2. 



\shv ercv 

 Mini sc 



gf/wv.-Mwrwi 

 lakcn at 



Braitkbton's 

 vV M *ihol« 



I'd I 



\» it r,».ni. t 

 June, 1971 



