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XII. On the Osteology of the Marsupialia. (Part II.) 



Comparison of the Skulls of the Wombats of Continental Australia and of Van Diemen's 

 Land, whereby their specific distinction is established. 



By Professor Owen, F.R.S., F.Z.S. &jc. 



ReadJuly 22, 1845. 



IN my former memoir on the Osteology of the Marsupialia*, the value, in the determi- 

 nation of the species of Marsupial Animals, of their osteological characters, and more 

 especially of those derivable from the structure of the cranium, was attempted to be 

 demonstrated : it is well-exemplified by the subjects of the following observations. 



Skins of Wombats have been transmitted both from Australia and Tasmania, and may 

 be seen in the National and Society's museums and in some of those abroad ; but no 

 observation has been made and recorded, to my knowledge, of any exterior character 

 by which two species of the genus Phascolomys could be accurately recognized. 



In fact, all the stuifed specimens of full-grown animals present nearly the same size, 

 shape and colour ; and as the few discernible differences may have been produced or 

 exaggerated by accidental shrivelling and distortion of flexible parts in the drying and 

 preparation of the skins, I shall here limit myself to the indication of those characters 

 which are permanently impressed on the hard internal osseous framework. 



It will be, unquestionably, of importance to the naturalist to compare closely the 

 living Wombats of Australia, especially those from the southern province, with those 

 from Van Diemen's Land. Hitherto the living specimens that have been exhibited in 

 the menagerie of the Zoological Society have all been transmitted from Tasmania. 



I have selected the skull of the largest of these Tasmanian Wombats {Phascolomys 

 Vombatus, Auct., Plate XXXVII. figg. 1 & 2) to compare with the skull of a Wombat 

 (Plate XXXVII. figg. 4 & 5) transmitted by Governor Grey, from South Australia, 

 whereby the following differences, which prove their specific distinction, will be suffi- 

 ciently obvious. 



They are of equal size, but the skull of the specimen from South Australia (fig. 4) is 

 broader in proportion to its length. In this continental species, which I propose to call 

 Phascolomys latifrons, the upper incisors present a transverse semi-oval or rather reni- 

 form section (fig. 6, a), the convex enamelled surface being directed forwards and out- 



* Zoological Transactions, vol. ii. 1841, p. 379. 

 VOL. III. PART IV. 2 T 



