106 Dr Knox cwi the Wombat of' Flinders. 



Wombat, described by Mr Bass, to differ from the Phascolome 

 of Peron, and he gave to it the name of Amblotis, the bestow- 

 ing of new names being with him, as with many naturalists of the 

 present day, an object of much greater importance than the dis- 

 covery of new species. 



I am not acquainted with all the sources whence M. lUiger 

 may have derived his information, relative to this species of ani- 

 mal, — probably from the voyage of Collins, — ^from a very im- 

 perfect notice on the subject contained in the Mem. de TAcade- 

 mie Imperiale des Sciences de St Petersbourg, t. i. p. 444. — 

 and from the very excellent compilation of M. Desmarest. 



The Wombat of Bass is distinctly enough described by that 

 bold navigator, with the exception of the teeth. He says *, that 

 " the opening of the mouth is small : it contains five long grass- 

 cutting teeth in the front of each jaw, like those of the kanga- 

 roo ; within them is a vacancy for an inch or more ; then ap- 

 pear two small canine teeth, of equal height with and so much 

 similar to eight molares, situated behind, as scarcely to be dis- 

 tinguishable from them. The whole number in both jaws 

 amount to twenty-four."" It is not improbable that this account 

 of the teeth may prove incorrect. Notwithstanding, I am in- 

 clined, from various circumstances, to view the Wombat de- 

 scribed by Mr Bass as different from that I have called the 

 Wombat of Flinders, of the natural history of wJiich I shall 

 now offer a brief history to the Society. 



It is far from being improbable, that the animal described by 

 Captain Flinders was really the Phascolome of naturalists ; for 

 that great navigator says, in the Introduction to his " Voyage 

 to Terra Australis," that there are two sorts or species of the 

 Wombat, one inhabiting the islands, which burrows like the 

 badger, and does not quit its retreat till dark : another species 

 of this animal has been discovered in New South Wales, which 

 lives in the tops of trees, and in manners bears much resemblance 

 to the sloth. 



Whether I am right in supposing that the description given 

 more in detail by Mr Bass, really applies to the Phascolome of 



• Collinses New South Wales, vol. ii. p. 165. 



