EXISTING SPECIES OF THE GENUS PHASCOLOMYS. 
in the teeth of three skulls, two from Van Diemen’s Land, and one from 
New South Wales, and suggested that there might be more than one 
species confounded under the name Phascolomys vombatus. Matters 
remained in this state until, in 1853, Owen described two skulls in the 
collection of the Royal College of Surgeons* as distinct from Phas- 
colomys vombatus. For these he proposed the name P. platyrhinus, 
that is, under different names as regards two of them, Owen at that 
time recognised the three recent species that are now accepted, viz., 
Phas. vombatus (= Phas. wrsinus), Phas. platyrhinus (= Phas. mitchelli), 
and Phas. latifrons. Apparently, however, he regarded the first of 
these as distributed on the mainland as well as in Tasmania and the is- 
lands. Some confusion arose in regard to the South Australian species, 
named originally by Owen on the strength of a skull only. When 
the skin of the hairy-nosed wombat of South Australia was first seen 
it was not identified as belonging to the same animal to which Owen 
gave the name P. latifrons. Gray accordingly founded a new genus 
and species for it,t Lasicrhinus m’coyi; Gould called it Phas- 
colomys lasiorhinust and Krefit described a dark variety under 
the name of P. niger.§ Of the distinctness of P. latifrons there is no 
doubt. There remains the question of the Eastern mainland species, 
that of Tasmania, and that of the islands. 
In 1865, Murie published a paper dealing in detail with the 
various species.|| He came to the conclusion that P. mitchelli and P. 
platyrhinus were identical, but retained the latter name for the recent 
species, and also, like Owen, recognised two other species—Phas- 
colomys wombat and Phascolomys latifrons. These results he con- 
firmed in 1867, but curiously says nothing definite with regard to 
the geographical distribution of the species. McCoy, writing 
of Phascolomys wombat in 1868, said, ‘‘ This is now known to be 
confined to Tasmania and other islands south of the Australian con- 
tinent, and as I have demonstrated from the specimens on the table, 
it is specifically distinguishable with ease and certainty by the charac- 
ters of the skull and skin, pointed out by Dr. Murie and others, from 
the wombats of the mainland, which were at one time supposed to 
be referable to it.” Krefit,** in 1871, says again that Phascolomys 
wombat “is peculiar to Tasmania and the islands of Bass Strait. 
The New South Wales wombat (Phascolomys platyrhinus) is found 
on the east and south coast, extending even as far as Victoria, where 
also a brown variety occurs. This eastern wombat differs little 
from the Tasmanian one, except that it is larger and grows to over 
80 lbs. in weight.” 
* Descriptive Catalogue Osteological Series, R.C. Surgeons, Vol. i. 1853 p- 334. 
t A. MW. N. H. 1863, p. 854. 
{ Mammals, Pls. 59 and 60. 1863. 
§ Mammals of Australia, 1871. Text to Pl. v. 
|| Murie. P.Z.S., 1865. 
{| Proc. R. S., Victoria, 1868, p. 266. 
** Mammals of Australia. Text to Pl. v. 
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