Table Of Content.
NaturalistNote
((h2i0s0t3o)ryBaocfcDhuusnbMaarrsHhomHeesrtietaadgeaGnudidites,o2cncduepdainttiso,n McoAfltpitilneepaDge().1899)FungusDis,easesofCitrusTreesin
pages 123-124). Australia and their Treatment (Victorian
BarnardFGA(1894)ExcursiontoBacchusMarsh, The DepartmentofAgriculture:Melbourne)
VictorianNaturalist11,54-55. MchveyA(1966)I.iterarynotesno.2:someBrittlebank
BrilllebankC'C(1899)BirdsofMyrniongandsurround- bird paintings. Emu66. 189-190 (paintingsandother
BriilnlgldeibsatnrikctCs.CT(h1e90V8ic)tOorniatnheNaltiufrea-lhiisstto1r6y,o5f9-L6o1r.aMhus OffmaitceerriaGlainndthLeMBaulsfeouurm(V1i8c9t3o)riParecollilmeicntaiorny).Accountof
exocarpiBelir.ProceedingsoftheLinneanSocietyof theGlacial DepositsofBacchus Marsh.Proceedings
BrNilelwleSboauntkhTHAal(e1s83939.)65h0'a-r6l5y6.nesting. The Victorian PeosfeotthteIRTo!ya(l19S4o6c)ieTthyeoflaVtiectCohrairaleVs(Cn.ewBrisetrtileesb)a,nk4.7-T68h.e
BrNiatttulreablainskt1T6.A55(.1901) The Little Kingfisher. The BVriictttolreibaannkN)a.turalist62, 189-191 (obituaryofCharles
VictorianNaturalist18,28. Sweet G and CC Brittlebank (1893) The glacial
CaOmcptboeblelr.A1J89(11.89Th1)eTVhiectoWreinanibNcatcurGaolirsgte8,ex9c9u-r1s0i0o,n,3"' dfenposyiites(*iojnfgthoefBtahcecAhuusstrMaalrassihandisAtsriscotc.iaRteipoonrtfoorftthhee
CampbellA.I(1900.reprinted 1974)NestsandEggsof Advancement ofScience. Sept. 1893, 376-389
FrAPeuunsbclthirsaChliiAnagn:(1BM8ie9rld1bs-.o1u9Vr1no1el))uHmaensdb1oaonkdo2f.tRheeprDiensttru(cWtrievne WhAi(tAtdeeHllilasiHdteoM)r.y(19a5n4d)ThBeibLlitieorgartuarpehoyfAousftrAaluisatnraBilridasn:
Insects of Victoria, Volumes 1-5. (Victorian Ornithology. (Paterson Brokensha: Perth, WA)
DepartmentofAgriculture:Melbourne) (biographiesandlistsofpublishedworks,pages390-
Hall TS (1894) F.xcursion to Werribee Gorge with a 392).
note on ils geological literature. The Victorian
Naturalist11, 125-127.
LeWahcihtJcAom(b1c91a1)ndAnToAmubstsr,alMiaenlbBoiurrdnBeoo(ka.ckIns1oewdlietidogn-. Received2February2006:acceptedIJune2006
ments for illustrations byCharles Brittlebank, verso
Arecord ofthe Common Dunnart Smintiiopsis muri/ia
using artificial habitat
The Common DunnartSminthopsismuri- In this district, the Watsons Creek Nature
na inhabits mallee scrub, dry heath, dry Conservation Link is made up ofremnant
forestandwoodland within Victoria, most- habitat areas along Watsons Creek and
ly in the north and west ofthe state (Atlas several Crown Conservation Reserves,
ofVictorian Wildlife). All areas where the which join the Kinglakc ranges to the
species is found have sparse shrub and north and the Yarra Valley to the south.
ground cover, but usually with a dense Within this link. One Tree Hill Reserve is
cover ofground litter (Menkhorst 1995). the largest area ofreserved crown landand
However, the species is no longercommon provides important habitat for several rare
and is now classed as vulnerable in and threatened species, including the
Victoria. Records ofthe Common Dunnart Powerful Owl Ninox strenua Brush-tailed
,
exist close to Melbourne, particularly to Phascogale Phascogalc tapoatafa and
the north east on dry slopes and ridges Common Dunnart.
south ofthe Kinglakc ranges, in the vicini- As part of a habitat enhancement pro-
tyofWatsons Creek. gram, RMIT University, in conjunction
with Parks Victoria, positioned forty con-
crete pavers on several slopes in Dry
Grassy Woodland at One Tree Hill, in
habitat that was considered typical for the
Common Dunnart. Each paver measured
380mm by 380 mm and had a thickness of
mm
45 (Fig. 1). The forty pavers were
layed between October 2003 and March
2004. Theywerepositioned in fourfinesof
ten, with aboutten metres between pavers.
A nestingcavitywasexcavated undereach
block and dry grass was provided for nest-
Fig. 1. Concrete paverused to produce nesting ingmaterial.
cavity.
Vol. 123 (5) 2006 317
Contributions
OneTree Hill Common Dunnart record, wildfire had burnt through the area in
March 2006 1962. On 20 November 1988, Beardsell
On 24/3/2006, staffand studentsfrom the (1997) carried out a detailed ten hectare
School of Life and Physical Sciences, search ofdensetussocks on slopes directly
RMIT University, visited One Tree Hill below the sitewhere theCommon Dunnart
Reserve with Mr Campbell Beardsell of was foundon 24/3/2006. Duringthe search
Parks Victoria, principally to study the two adult female Common Dunnarts were
techniques and results ofecological burn- found, both with pouched young, one in a
ing. Towards the end ofthe day. as we grass tussock and the other under discard-
were about to conclude the visit, we edgalvanised iron.
realised that thetrackleadingto the easiest
Acknowledgements
exit passed closely to one ofthe lines of
psaovmeers.ofIttwheaspadveecrisdeadndtoesxphloawinthtehestruedaesnotns whMahabonisyteatthiaadtnekaOsnitteowCaTsaremteoBeHuaisrledlsceRloeln,scerPreavtreek.spaVRviicectrhosrairaad,s
fortheirpresence in the reserve. When the Francis, formerly ofRMIT University, organ-
second paver in the line was lifted, to our ised and supervisedthe layingofthepaversand
surprise, a Common Dunnart was found numerous RMIT students helped carry the
sheltering underthe paver. The animal was pavers down sleep slopes. The specimen men-
tioned in this article was handled under the
subsequently captured by hand (see cover terms of Research Permit No. 10002492 issued
picture) and proved to be an adult male. by the Department of Sustainability and
The dunnart was released hard against the Environment and by RMIT Animal Ethics
entrance to the paver, but ran directly to CommitteeApprovalNo.315.
the next paver in the line and disappeared References
under it. It is interesting to note that the Atlas ofVictorian Wildlife, database. Department of
area from which this record was obtained SustainabilityandEnvironment.
was subjected to an ecological burn in BeFaardusneallla(n'd(1H9a9b7i)taTthSeiNgnEifRiOcaCncReepionrNto:rtSihteEsasotf
March 2005, and ground cover in March Melbourne Dunmoochin Biological Surveys.
,
2006, was particularlysparse. UnpublishedreporttoShireofNillumbik.
Other records exist for the Common McDniksthroirbsuittoPn,WE(ceodl)og(y19a9n5)dMCoanmsmeravlastioonf.Vi(cOtxofroirad:
Dunnart in this reserve which also involve UniversityPress:SouthMelbourne)
the species using artificial habitat. On the
25/5/1968, the then Mammal Survey
Group (now Fauna Survey Group) of the Peter Homan
tFwNoCVcovmismiotend ODnunenaTrretes Htihlaltawnedrceapftouurnedd SchoolofLifeandPRhGMyPsIiOTcaBlUonSixcvie2er4nsc7iet6syV,.
under discarded galvanised iron (FNCV Melbourne3001
unpubl. data). This was six years after email:[email protected]
Flora and Fauna GuaranteeAct 1988
Final recommendations in regardto nominations forlisting underthe Floraand Fauna
Guarantee Act 1988. The nominations forthe followingtaxato be listed as threatened
are supportedbythe Scientific Advisory CommitteeJuly2006.
MarshTree-moss Climacium dendroides
Oval Wedge-fern Lindsaeatrichomanoides
318 The Victorian Naturalist
