122 Froceedingft of ilw Royal Society of Victoria. 



Thylacomys cepvinus. Fig. 3. 



Hapalotis cervinus. Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1851. p. 127. 



Mamm. Aust., III., pi. 10. 



Spencer, Report Horn Exped., II., p. 11. 



To the coloration of typical examples as rendered by Grould, 

 there is little to add. The fur of the under surface is white 

 throughout, that of the upper parts is grey at the base. The tail 

 at the proximal half is scantily clothed ; the distal portion is 

 pencilled as shown in the figure, — a feature not referred to in 

 the text. 



Tail scales average fifteen to the centimetre. Mammsx?, 0*2 = 4. 



A darker form was considered to be a second species of the 

 genus until a comparative examination of the skulls showed it to 

 be specifically identical. The fawn colored portions are replaced 

 by a nmch deeper tint and the fur of the under parts is grey at 

 the base. This variety is perhaps the one referred to by Gould 

 as "sometimes met with," but his figure (in the background) doi^s 

 not represent our specimens very accurately. In color it 

 resembles C. mitcheUi., but may be readily distinguished by its 

 smaller size and peculiar long ears, so characteristic of the species. 

 With regard to C. viitchelli, I have not specimens available for 

 examination but suspect that its features will ally it with 

 Podanottialiis rather than with Conilunis. 



The Pouch, the peculiarity of the genus, is situated on the 

 lower part of the throat somewhat in advance of the fore limbs. 

 It is a rather shallow depression lined with fine hair, the lower 

 border is thickened and of -.- shape. At present the object of 

 the pouch can only be conjectured, but it is to be hoped that 

 when its presence has been made known to the gentlemen wlio 

 are so successfully collecting the specimens in Central Australia, 

 special observations may be made. It can be confidently assumed 

 that the pouch is in no way analagous to that of a Marsupial, 

 and one may suggest that it is used, as in the Geomyidce, for 

 storing food. These little animals may have some distance to 

 travel in the desert for their dinners and possibly carry their 

 suppers home with them. In the contracted state as observed 

 in preserved specimens the pouch seems somewhat small for 

 the purpose, but in the living animal it may be capable of 

 considerable distension. 



