REPORT ON THE MARSUPIALIA. .">.") 



takes origin further back, however, from the under surface of the projecting base of the 

 fifth metatarsal bone. It is a very minute although perfectly distinct slip, and it is ren- 

 dered all the more apparent from the fact that the deep division of the external plantar 

 nerve (d), as it turns inwards, passes under cover of it. In Dasijurus hallucatus Ruge * 

 both figures and describes this slip with great exactitude. In his specimen, however, it 

 did not attain an independent insertion, but blended with the outer head of the flexor brevis. 

 The four dorsal interossei are plantar in position. They are one-headed muscles 

 which arise from the bases of the four outer metatarsal bones, and are inserted as in 

 Tkylacinus, so as to abduct the digits from a line drawn through the medius. This 

 digit, therefore, is supplied with two, viz., the second and third. 



Phascogale calura. 



The foot of this animal in external characters closely resembles that of the Dasyurus 

 viverrinus. The hallux, however, is more strongly developed ; still it is not furnished 

 with a nail or claw, nor is it nearly so long as the other four digits. 2 The metatarsals 

 are placed so close to each other that all the intrinsic muscles are situated in the sole. 

 The trilaminar arrangement is nevertheless very manifest. 



Plantar layer. — This layer is composed of four muscles, all of which lie upon one 

 plane. They are — 



1. Adductor hallucis. 



2. Adductor annularis. 



3. Adductor indicis. 



4. Adductor minimi diaiti. 



These muscles are inserted so as to adduct the digits with which they are connected 

 towards the medius. 



The adductor indicis, adductor annularis, and adductor minimi digiti all spring by a 

 common tendinous origin from the base of the metatarsus in the middle line of the foot. 

 This soon expands into a thin fleshy sheet which lies upon the other intrinsic muscles. 

 Near the roots of the toes it divides into three slips which diverge from each other to 

 reach their respective points of insertion. 



The adductor hallucis has an independent origin from the base of the metatarsus, upon 

 the inner side of the common tendon of the other three adductors. It is inserted into 

 the outer aspect of the first phalanx of the hallux. 



Intermediate layer. — The four outer toes are each provided with a double-heaiL .1 

 flexor brevis, and these muscles have an arrangement similar in every respect to that of 

 the corresponding muscles in Dasyurus. 



The hallux also is furnished with a flexor brevis, which in this case is quite distinct 

 from the abductor. The inner or tibial head, however, alone is present. 



Dorsal layer. — In this layer we find (1) the abductor ossis metatarsi minimi digiti, 



1 Loc tit., p. 54. 



- In Waterhouse's Mammalia a figure of the foot of Phascogale penicilLita is given (pi. xii. vol. i.)- 



