260 



REPORT ON ZOOLOGY, IMDCCCXLIV. 



These cartilages are imbedded in the columns of the abdominal ring, 

 and each of them appears as a condensed or thickened part of the ten- 

 don of the obliquus externus abclominis muscle which forms the upper 

 columnar fibres. The length of the marsupial fibre-cartilage is 6 Hues, 

 its breadth 3 4, its diameter lj Hues. Of such a condition were the 

 rudiments of the pouch-bones found in two adult females and one male; in 

 a fourth large and old male some particles of osseous substance had been 

 deposited in the middle of the fibre-cartilage , and caused a grating sound, 

 while a section was being made of them with the knife. 



Gray, in the Zoology of the Voy. of Ereb. Mamm. tab. 

 25, has given figures of three species of the genus Antechinus, 

 namely, A. Swains onii, leucog aster, and affinis. Gould has 

 obtained from South Australia a new species of Kangaroo- 

 rat, -which he has published in the Ann. of Nat. Hist, xiii, 

 p. 389, under the name Bettongia campestris. The texture 

 and colour of the fur bears much resemblance with that of 

 our hare. He moreover characterizes three other new 

 species : Halmaturus Houtmanii, Halm. Dama and Layor- 

 chestes hirsutus. (Ann. xiv, p. 446.) 



Gilbert has, in the Annals, xiv, p. 447, communicated his 

 observations concerning the habits and mode of life of 

 Lagorehestes albipilis, Macropus ocydromus, and Halmaturus 

 manicatus. 



For the first time during the composition of this Report, 

 has the second Part of Gould's Monograph of the Macropo- 

 diclse, although bearing date May 1st, 1842, come to hand. 

 The objects of which it treats are Macropus fulginosus > 

 Halmaturus ruficollis, nalabatus, Parryi, agiJis, an&Tketidis ; 

 Osphranter antilopinus ; Petrogale peniciUata, lateralis and 

 inomata ; Dendrohtgus ursinus, and inustus ; Lagorehestes 

 conspicillata ; Bettongia cuniculus and fasclata. 



RODENTIA. 



SCIURINA. Betrachtungen iiber die verschiedenen Arten 

 von Ziesel in Russland, mit Bemerkungen iiber die Anor- 

 dnung und geographische Vertheilung der Gattung Sper- 



