Art. II. — Preliminary Description of Certain New Mar- 

 supials from Central Australia, together with 

 Remarks upon the Occurrence and Identity of 

 PJiascologale cristicauda. 



By Professor Baldwin Spencer^ M.A., C.M.Z.S., 



University of Melbourne. 

 [Eead 13tli June, 1895.] 



The following includes a preliminary description of a new 

 genus of the family Dasyuridfe and of a new species of the 

 genus Sminthopsis fi'om Central Australia, together wdth remarks 

 upon the identity of Phascologale cristicauda, originally described 

 by Kreift under the name of Chcetocercus cristicauda. 



My warmest thanks are due to my friend, Mr. P. M. Byrne, 

 who, under difficulties of collecting and transit which cannot 

 be fully appreciated unless one has pei'sonally endeavoured to 

 collect in Central Australia during the hot season, secured the 

 specimens which are now described. Thanks largely to the 

 kindness of Mr. Byrne, I was able, during a visit paid to Central 

 Australia in the recent summer, to secure several important 

 forms of animal life which can only be met with after rain has 

 fallen, and which are very characteristic of the Central fauna. 

 The full description of these, together with those of the mar- 

 supials now dealt with, will be published in the volume dealing 

 with the Horn Expedition. 



Dasyiiroides, gen. nov. 



Size small compared to Dasyurus ; general build comparatively 

 stout. Tail long. 



Feet long and strong, not delicate as in Sminthopsis. Toes 

 with strong, sharp, curved claws. Palms and soles very hairy, 

 with the median part granulated. Soles with three well-marked 

 pads placed on granulated elevations at the base of the toes. 



Hallux entirely absent. 



