Nov., 1924 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
II5 
NOTE ACCOMPANYING EXHIBIT. 
By Dr. A. Eland Shaw, F.E.S. 
Snpella supellectillium Serville: A Cockroach not before 
Recorded for Australia. 
This Cockroach wan described by Leville in 1839, and 
is now to be found in most parts of the world. It has 
not hitherto been recorded from Australia, but specimens 
in my collection point to a wide distribution in Queens- 
land. My earliest examples came in 1915, throujih Mr. 
Les Kelly, fi'om the Lower Burdekin district, and in 1917- 
19 Dr. J. P. Illingw’orth took it on one of the coasting 
boats and at Cairns, Clordonvale, and Mosman, N.Q. My 
own records are from the Brisbane district, where in 1918 
I first found it in fmy house at Wynnum; and subse- 
quently very numerously in several other houses there; 
and now I take odd specimens at Goodna. Some houses 
in Wynnum are heavily infested, and both sexes occa- 
sionally fly into lionses at night. 8. snjxdlectlliuin Serv. 
occurs as a domestic insect in company with the common 
Blattella germanica Linn, and seems capable of even 
more rapid multiplication than that s]}ecies. Its spread 
over Australia generally is to be expected. 
0 
Water Rats. — Some few weeks ago a Avriter in the 
'‘Courier'’ stated Water liats never left the water. Tliey 
may not do so in some places, bnt here we found them 
very partial to ducks and fowls, coming up from a small 
waterhole to the pens and helping themselves. One winter 
I Avas puzzled to knoAv Ayhat got into my kitchen. The 
thing AAmiild get on the table and eat anything that might 
be there, and Avas especially fond of meat; it Avould drink 
milk and would leave some very dirty i)lates Avlien it had 
finished. I shut doAvn the windows and still the thief got 
in. One cold morning I was sitting at the stove knitting, 
and ever.Adhing Avas quiet, and frotm under the dresser 
came an ugly black head looking round, tlien out came 
a large AA^ater rat. climbed up on the flour bin, and began 
helping himsesif to the milk that Avas in the bucket. As 
soon as I moved he Avtent like a flash. We found he had a 
small hole in the floor he came through (the kitchen floor 
Avas near the ground.) We succeeded in catching him one 
