Abstract
THE Mallee National Park in Victoria, known as “Wyperfeld”, an account of which appeared in NATURE of August 12, 1939, p. 272, has received a substantial addition of 51,840 acres, owing to the far–sighted action of the acting premier of Victoria, Mr, Lind. This makes a total area of 138,700 acres. The land added, known locally as the “Desert”, is useless for purposes of production, but contains the mound builder, known as the ‘lowan’, and is a feeding–ground for birds. The Park is situated in the most arid part of the State with a capricious rainfall of 9 in. and great evaporation. In spite of this dryness it is well stocked with birds of the cockatoo and parrot family, also lowans and emus. It also contains a number of black–faced kangaroo. There is at present only one well in the area, and exactly where these animals get the necessary water is not known. The trough at the well is used by some of the birds and by bees, but so far the kangaroos have not been seen to use it. A somewhat similar problem of water supply can be seen in the Egyptian Desert bordering on the Mediterranean which, whereas it is lifeless in the day–time, is stocked with jerboas and various reptiles at night.
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The Wyperfeld (Mallee) National Park. Nature 148, 82 (1941). https://doi.org/10.1038/148082c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/148082c0