THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



No. 51. DECEMBER 1841. 



XXIX. — Notice of a new genus of Mammalia discovered by 

 J. Stuart, Esq., in New South Wales. By W. S. Mac- 

 Leay, Esq., &c. &c. 



[With a Plate.] 



During a residence of two years in this colony, the expe- 

 rience of each day shows me that as yet but little is known 

 of the productions of New Holland. The natural history of 

 the interior of this vast island may indeed be considered as 

 altogether unknown ; and with respect to the coast, we can 

 only be said to be in a considerable degree acquainted with 

 the birds and phaenogamous plants of certain of its particular 

 districts. An animal lately discovered by Sir T. L. Mitchell, 

 and called Charopus ecaudatus, appears to connect the genera 

 Perameles and Hypsiprymnus. Being so singular in the 

 dentition and the structure of its feet, this animal may lead 

 us to imagine the sort of novelties that exist inland ; but it is 

 also very sure that the neighbourhood of Sydney still offers 

 the discovery of many new quadrupeds to the research of an 

 active collector. The marsupial called by the colonists " the 

 Red Shrew Mouse," and which has been supposed by Sir 

 T. L. Mitchell to be a Myrmecobius, proves now to be a 

 new and minute species of Perameles ; that is, if I may be 

 allowed to judge from the feet of the two stuffed specimens 

 in the Colonial Museum, the only ones I have seen*. Al- 

 though not giving much attention to the study of the species 

 of Mammalia, I hear frequently of the occurrence of small 

 Marsupials, which I suspect will prove, when described, en- 

 tirely new to zoologists. One thing is certain, that many 

 small Rodents remain undescribed, from their having been 

 confounded with the rats and mice imported from Europe ; 

 and I think sufficient reasons will be given in the present 

 notice for believing that a new insectivorous quadruped is to 

 be found in the immediate vicinity of Sydney. The cause of 

 the small quadrupeds having so long escaped notice appears 

 to be, that they are all, whether marsupial or not, in their 

 habits nocturnal ; but the truth also is, that few persons here 

 have leisure to look for them. Birds, however worthless for 



* The teeth are not visible in either of the specimens. 

 Ann. fy Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. R 



