714 ZOOLOGY ON THE MACLAY-COAST IN NEW GUINEA, 



spears, bows and arrows. Arrived on the spot, a few boys under 

 the direction of an experienced adult, set fire to the' grass in 

 many places in a systematic manner, according to the direction of 

 the wind and the formation of the ground. The armed men 

 surround the burning patches and watch for the animals which 

 try to escape the fire. In this way a great number of wild pigs 

 and small marsupials are killed. I used to follow many such 

 expeditions, not only to have my share of the spoil, but principally 

 to extend my knowledge of the fauna. 



Amongst the victims of the slaughter the most numerous at the 

 Maclay Coast is a large bandicoot. 



The specimen which has served for this description is not by 

 any means the largest T have seen, because the larger ones aie 

 always secured by natives at once on account of their size and 

 spoiled by spear or arrow wounds for zoological or anatomical 

 purposes. 



Not having had in New Guinea a superabundance of alcohol, I 

 have kept in my collections, only 3 specimens of this animal. 



The examination of the dentition (number of the upper incisors) 

 the bristle-like hair and the proportional shortness of the hind 

 limbs (1), induce me to describe this bandicoot as belonging to a 

 new sub-genus (2) of Peramelidte : Brachjmells (3). 



I shall show in this paper, that some bandicoots described as 

 species of Perameles have to be included in the Sub-genus Brachy- 

 melis, but before this, I intend to give some details about the 

 species from the Maclay-Coast, which I shall call after the place 

 where I dissected the first specimen of it. (4.) 



(1) "Limbs (ot the Peramelidse) unequal, the posterior legs being con- 

 siderably longer than the anterior." Waterhouse Mamalia, Vol. I., p. 354. 



(2) I am aware that, on the character of possessing 8 upper incisors instead 

 of 10, a Genus Echimipara has been established by Lesson. I think how- 

 ever, that this peculiarity alone, is not sufficient to make a new Genus : but 

 I believe, that the above mentioned .'5 characters authorise the establishment 

 of a Sub-gt nus. 



(3) /Spa^^eAt? — Short limbed. 



(4) The hut which formed my first residence in New Guinea in lb7L was 

 built on a small Cape called by the natives "Garagassi." 



