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 concrete 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