But few mammalia inhabit Central Australia. The nature of the country indeed is such, that we could hardly expect to find any remarkable1 variety. The greater part is only tenable after or during heavy rains, when the hollows in the flats between the sandy ridges2 contain water. On such occasions the natives move about the country, and subsist3 almost exclusively on the Hapalotis Mitchellii, and an animal they call the Talpero, a species of Perameles, which is spread over a great extent of country, being common in the sand hills on the banks of the Darling, to the S.E. of the Barrier Range, as well as to the sandy ridges in the N.W. interior, although none were met with to the north of the Stony4 Desert.
The Hapaloti feed on tender shoots of plants, and must live for many months together without water, the situation in which we found them precluding5 the possibility of their obtaining any for protracted6 intervals7. They make burrows9 of great extent, from which the natives smoke them, and they sometimes procure10 as many as twelve or eighteen from one burrow8. This animal is grey, the fur is exceedingly soft; although the animal is in some measure common, I could not procure any skins from the natives.
Very few kangaroos were seen, none indeed beyond the parallel of 28 degrees. All that were seen were of the common kind, none of the minor11 description apparently12 inhabiting the interior, if I except some Rock Wallabi, noticed on the Barrier Range. The last beautiful little animal always escaped us in consequence of its extreme agility13 and watchfulness14.
The Native Dog was not seen beyond lat. 28 degrees. Nor was it found in a wild state beyond Fort Grey, to the best of my recollection; these miserable15 and melancholy16 animals would come to water where we were, unconscious of our presence, and would gain the very bank of the creek17 before they discovered us, rousing us by as melancholy a howl as jackal ever made; their emaciated19 bodies standing20 between us and the moon, were the most wretched objects of the brute21 creation.
The first Choeropus castanotus seen, was on the banks of the Darling, in the possession of the natives, but it was too much injured to be valuable as a specimen22. A second was also killed there, but torn to pieces by the dogs. None were afterwards seen until after the Barrier Range had been crossed, when about lat. 27 degrees several were captured alive, as detailed23 under the head Dipus. In like manner the first nest of the “Building Rats” (Mus conditor, Gould) was found in the brushes on the Darling, where they were numerous. The last nest of these animals was on the bank of the muddy lagoon24 to the north of the Pine Forest, in which the party were so embarrassed, at the end of 1844.
The first Hapalotis, seen was in lat. 29 1/2 degrees on some plains to the eastward25 of the Depot26, where it was nearly captured by Mr. Browne. A second was taken by Mr. Stewart, at the tents, but in neither places were they found inhabiting the same kind of country as that in which they were subsequently found in such vast numbers. Mr. Gould thinks there were two species amongst those brought home, and it may be that these two were different from those inhabiting the sand hills: they only differed, however, in a darker shade in the fur, and a reddish mark on the back of the ears.
There were both rats and mice in the N.W. interior, numbers of which took up their abode27 in our underground room at the Depot, but there was no apparent difference between them and the ordinary rat or mouse.
There was only one Opossum killed, or indeed seen to the westward28 of the Barrier Range, nor do they appear to inhabit the interior in any numbers. Since there were no signs of the trees having been ascended29 by the natives in search of them.
1. Canis Familiaris, var. Australasiae. — Dingo.
This animal was not very numerous in the interior, more especially towards the centre, for it was not noticed to the north of the Stony Desert. Wherever seen it was in the most miserable condition, and it is difficult to say on what they lived. This animal was of all colours. It appears to me that if these dogs are indigenous30, nature has departed from her usual laws as regards wild beasts, in giving them such a variety of colours.
2. Macropus Major. — Great Kangaroo.
This animal did not extend beyond 28 degrees. Six or seven were there seen on a small stony range, but very few were observed to the westward of the Barrier Range.
3. Macropus Laniger. — Red Kangaroo.
This fine animal did not extend beyond the neighbourhood and plains of the Murray, where it is not numerous. Several of the smaller kangaroos were taken during the progress of the Expedition up the Murray and Darling rivers; but as they have been frequently described, it is not thought necessary to insert them in this list.
4. Choeropus Castanotus, Gray.
This animal was first killed on the Darling, but the specimen was destroyed by the dogs. Two or three were afterwards taken alive in latitude31 26 1/2 degrees. They were found lying out in tufts of grass, and when roused betook themselves after a short run, to some hollow logs where they were easily cut out. The Choeroups is a beautiful animal, about eight inches long in the body, with a tail of considerable length, having a tuft at the end. The fur is a silvery grey, and very soft. When confined in a box they ate sparingly of grass and young leaves, but preferred meat and the offal of birds shot for them. The Choeropus is insectivorous, and I was therefore not surprised at their taking to animal food, which, however, not agreeing with them, they died one after the other. They squat32 like rabbits, laying their broad ears along their backs in the same kind of way.
5. Hapalotis Mitchellii.
This beautiful little animal was, as I have observed in the introduction to this notice, first seen in the vicinity of the Depot. It was subsequently found in vast numbers, inhabiting the sandy ridges from Fort Grey to Lake Torrens. Those immense banks of sand were in truth marked over with their footprints as if an army of mice or rats had been running over them. They are not much larger than a mouse, have a beautiful full black eye, long ears, and tail feathered towards the end. The colour of the fur is a light red, in rising they hop33 on their hind34 legs, and when tired go on all four, holding their tail perfectly35 horizontal. They breed in the flats on little mounds36, burrowing38 inwards from the edge; various passages tending like the radii39 of a wheel to a common centre, to which a hole is made from the top of the mound37, so that there is a communication from it to all the passages.
They are taken by the natives in hundreds, who avail themselves of a fall of rain to rove through the sandy ridges to hunt these little animals and the talpero, Perameles, as long as there shall be surface water. We had five of these little animals in a box, that thrived beautifully on oats, and I should have succeeded in getting them to Adelaide if it had not been for the carelessness of one of the men in fastening a tarpauline down over them one dreadful day, by which means they were smothered40.
6. Mus Conditor, Gould. — The Building Rat.
Inhabits the brushes in the Darling, in which it builds a nest of small sticks, varying in length from eight inches to three, and in thickness, from that of a quill41 to that of the thumb. The fabric42 is so firm and compact as almost to defy destruction except by fire. The animals live in communities, and have passages leading into apartments in the centre of the mound or pyramid, which might consist of three or four wheelbarrows full of the sticks, are about four feet in diameter, and three feet high. The animal itself is like an ordinary rat, only that it has longer ears and its hind feet are disproportioned to the fore18 feet. It was not found beyond latitude 30 degrees. See page 120, Vol. I.
7. Acrobates Pygmaea. — Flying Opossum Mouse.
This beautiful and delicate little animal was killed in a Box tree, whence it came out of a hole, and ran with several others along a branch, retreating again with great swiftness. It was so small that if the moon had not been very bright it could not have been seen. It is somewhat less than a mouse in size and has a tail like an emu’s feather, its skin being of a dark brown.
8. Lagorchestes Fasciatus (L. Albipilis, Gould?). — Fasciated Kangaroo.
One only of this animal was seen on the plains of the interior. It is peculiar43 in its habits, in that it lies in open ground and springs from its form like a hare, running with extreme velocity44, and doubling short round upon its pursuers to avoid them. The Lagorchestes is very common on the plains to the north of Gawler Town, but is so swift as generally to elude45 the dogs. It is marsupial46, and about the size of a rabbit, but is greatly disproportioned, as all the Kangaroo tribe are, as regards the hind and fore quarters. In colour this animal is a silvery grey, crossed with dark coloured bars on the back.
9. Phalangista Vulpina. — The Opossum.
Like the preceding, only one of these animals was seen or shot during the Expedition; it was in one of the gum-trees, taking its silent and lonely ramble47 amongst its branches, when the quick eye of Tampawang, my native boy, saw him. It does not appear generally to inhabit the N.W. interior. The present was a very large specimen, with a beautifully soft skin, and as it was the only one noticed during a residence of nearly six months at the same place, it was in all probability a stray animal.
10. Vespertilio. — Little black Bat.
This diminutive48 little animal flew into my tent at the Depot, attracted by the light. It is not common in that locality, or any other that we noticed. It was of a deep black in colour and had smaller ears than usual.
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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subsist
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| vi.生存，存在，供养 | |
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stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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precluding
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| v.阻止( preclude的现在分词 )；排除；妨碍；使…行不通 | |
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protracted
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| adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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burrow
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| vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞 | |
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burrows
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| n.地洞( burrow的名词复数 )v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的第三人称单数 )；翻寻 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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emaciated
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| adj.衰弱的，消瘦的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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depot
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| n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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indigenous
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| adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的 | |
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latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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squat
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| v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的 | |
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hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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burrowing
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| v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的现在分词 )；翻寻 | |
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radii
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| n.半径；半径（距离）( radius的名词复数 )；用半径度量的圆形面积；半径范围；桡骨 | |
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smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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quill
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| n.羽毛管；v.给（织物或衣服）作皱褶 | |
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fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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43
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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elude
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| v.躲避，困惑 | |
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marsupial
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| adj.有袋的，袋状的 | |
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ramble
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| v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延 | |
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diminutive
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| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
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