( 222 ) 



ON A COLLECTION OF MAMMALS MADE BY UB.. J. T. 



TUNNEY IN ARNHEM LAND, NORTHERN TERRITORY 



OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 



BY OLDFIELD THOMAS, F.R.S. 



BY tlu' kindness of the Hon. Walter Rothscliild I have been privileged to work 

 ont the large collection of Mammals made by Mr. J. T. Tnnney in Arnhem 

 Land during 1902 and 1903. This is a region hitherto very badly represented in 

 the British Mnsenm, and Mr. Tuuney's fine series is therefore of special interest. 



With regard to novelties, it so hajipens that a yonng Norwegian, Mr. Kant 

 Dahl, made, in 1894-96, a large collection of Mammals for the Christiania 

 Museum in very much the same region as the ])resent series comes from, and these 

 were worked out by Dr. U. Collett, by whom several new forms were described,* the 

 most noticeable being the remarkable Kock-Phahinger Fseiidochinis dahli. Dr. 

 Collett's paper coutaiued thirtj-one species, and to these Mr. Tunney has added 

 three new ones, the striking black Kangaroo, Macropus bernardus, Mus tunneyi, 

 and Pliascogale bella. To certain of the other forms obtained by both collectors I 

 have thought it necessary to give new names, while Mr. Tunney's series of the 

 Rock-AVallaby hitherto known as " Pctrogale " concinna has enabled me to make 

 some observations on its dentition, necessitating its separation as a distinct genus. 



Thanks to Mr. Rothschild's generositj-, the British Museum has iieen permitted 

 to retain a practically corajilete set of the specimens, while another series will be 

 jireserved in the Perth Mnsenm, "Western Australia, by whose curator, Mr. Bernard 

 Woodward, Mr. Tunney's expedition was arranged. 



1. Pteropus scapulatus Peters. 

 3 688. ? 087. South Alligator River. 



2. Canis dingo Blum. 

 Two males. South Alligator River. 



3. Conilurus hirsutus Gould. 



cf 1308, 1406, 1413, 1414, 1417, 1422, 1424, 1471, 1472, 1473, 1474. ? 1415, 

 1418, 1419, 1421, 1423, 1468, 1470, 147.'>, 1470. South Alligator River. 



4. Conilurus macrurus Peters. 



(J 1139. ? 88. Nellie C'reek, and two specimens unlabellcd. 



This magnificent Jerboa-rat had not been jireviously rejiresented in the British 

 Museum. 



I sec no reason to doubt that Ramsay's lla/mloti.i bouvri is synonymous with 

 Peters'a //. macrurus. The type of the latter is said to have been in changing 

 pelage, and the short fresh hairs of the back to be " gliinzend rostbrann," a colour 



• P. X. S. 1S1I7. p. .S17. 



