20 CHCEROPUS 



mentary or absent. Hind feet syndactylous, with four or five 

 toes very unequal in size ; hallux rudimentary or absent ; second 

 and third toes slender, united ; fourth strongest, long, with a large 

 claw ; fifth present, clawed. Clavicles absent. Ccecum present. 

 Pouch present, opening backwards. 



Genus I. CHCEROPUS, W. Ogilby (1838). 



Form light and slender. Muzzle short and narrow. Ears long 

 and narrow. Fore feet with the first and fifth digits absent, the 

 fourth rudimentary, the second and third fully developed with 

 long, slender claws. Hind feet with the hallux absent, the fifth 

 toe rudimentary, and the fourth very large. Tail cylindrical, 

 slightly crested along the upper surface. Mammse eight. 



Dentition. I. ^jff, C. {, P. 1 r g* M. g| x 2 = 48. 

 Habits. Terrestrial ; fossorial ; omnivorous. 



1. CH<EROPUS CASTANOTIS, Gray (1842). 

 Pig-footed Bandicoot. 



Size small ; form delicate. Fur coarse and straight, but not 

 spiny. Ears thinly haired, dull chestnut-brown behind, darkening 

 towards the tip. General color above coarse grizzled gray with 

 a tinge of fawn ; below white. Limbs long and slender. Tail 

 short, black above, gray on the sides and below. 



Dimensions. Head and body about ten inches ; tail about four 

 inches. 



Habitat. Western New South Wales and Victoria ; South 

 and West Australia ; (Northern Territory 1). 



Type. In the Australian Museum, Sydney. 



References. Thomas, B. M. Catal. p. 250 ; Gould, Mamm. 

 Austr. i. pi. vi. 



Genus II. PERAMELES, Geoffroy (1803). 



Form varying from stout and clumsy to light and delicate. 

 Muzzle long and pig-like. Ears variable in size. Fore feet with 

 the first and fifth digits short and clawless, and the three middle 

 digits long and subequal with curved fossorial claws. Hind feet 

 with the hallux short and clawless, the second and third toes with 

 flat twisted nails, the fourth long and powerful with a stout pointed 

 claw, and the fifth similar but smaller. Tail tapering ; short- 

 haired or nearly naked. Mammae six or eight. 



Dentition.-! l -^^-, C. \, P. $j& M. \% x 2 = 4Gor 48. 

 Habits. Terrestrial ; fossorial ; omnivorous. 



Note. The Bandicoots do a great amount of damage to culti- 

 rated lands and gardens, not only by digging up and consuming 



