On a CoUection of Mammals from Central and Northern Queensland. 867 



Skull with strong sagittal and occipital crests, 

 and distinct proc. postorbitales. Upper in cisors almost 

 equal; canine very long. First premolar the smallest, 

 j) 3 longest and very large. Upper molars with rather 

 low cusps. 



Palate with narrow foram. palatinaS; pars mastoidea 

 not inflated behind the auditory bulla. 



Length of body (head included) about 125 mm, tail 120 mm. 

 Dentition: i l, c |, j? |, mf (46). 



A. Male. Herbert Vale, Jan. 1883 (skin with skull). 



A Single specimen, a fullgrowu male with long scrotum, was dug 

 out of the ground at Herbert Vale; thus it appeared not to be arbo- 

 real in its habits. 



Description, Ph. virginiae appears in some respects to form 

 a connecting link between the small Phascologale {Antechinus) and 

 the slender-footed SmintJiopsis Thomas 1887 (= Podahrus Gould 

 1845, nee Westw. 1840 [Thelephoridae]). 



The feet are more slender than in Ph. flavipes, the thumb Short, 

 and situated remarkably far back; the soles of the feet bear distinct 

 tuberculated callosities, and, like Sminthopsis , it is terrestrial in 

 its habits; but the clothing of the metatarsus, and the covering/^of 

 hair on the body and tail is almost as in Phascologale. The upper 

 canine is very long. 



The skull differs in various respects from the skull of Ph. flavipes, 

 especially by its sharp sagittal crest, the prominent Processus post- 

 orbitales, and by the want of a double auditory bulla. 



Some measurements, taken of the mounted specimen, are here given : 

 Length of body (head included) about .... 125 mm 



Length of tail 120 „ 



From end of nose to lower margin of ear . . 32 „ 

 Length of ear, measuredfalong the outer margin . 20,5 „ 

 The same, measured along the inner margin . . 14,5 „ 



Length of bind foot to end of claw 23 „ 



The structure of the body comes very near that of Ph. 

 flavipes; it has the same size, or about that of a half grown rat. 

 The covering of hair is smooth, without any trace of being woolly. 

 The sole of the bind foot is bare along the centre of the meta- 

 tarsus, whilst the back part of the heel is covered with hair. The 

 thumb is extremely short, its free portion (exclusive of the nail) being 



