TONGUE OF PERAMELES NASUTA. 71 



There is a slight trace of a median raphe, in the form of a 

 shallow groove, in the anterior part. Dr. Grant also mentions 

 a close covering of minute papillae, no doubt referring to those 

 of peculiar type to be described further on ; and he speaks of 

 others of larger size more thinly scattered (probably the fungi- 

 form papillae), and describes the arrangement of the three 

 circumvallate papillae. At this latter part of the tongue he 

 mentions the orifices of minute ducts, which I was unable to 

 detect (except deep in the trenches round the papillae), 

 although I made horizontal sections in this part. He states 

 that the circumvallate papillae of the opossum are similar in 

 form and arrangement. The slight groove which appeared in 

 the anterior part of the upper surface of my specimen he de- 

 scribes as running the whole length ; and he also mentions that 

 there is a median ridge on the lower surface from the apex of 

 the tongue to the fraenum, bordered by a fold on each side, and 

 a corresponding groove on the floor of the mouth beneath, with 

 a ridge on each side. The roof of the palate is covered by a 

 black cuticle, and is traversed by about fourteen transverse 

 elevated ridges slightly curving forwards ; and as Dr. Grant 

 suggests, of importance in grinding down the hard coverings of 

 insects when the sharp points of the papillae are rubbed against 

 them. 



I have now mentioned the details of this organ given by Dr. 

 Grant, and I have been careful to include all points, since 

 this animal seems to be very slightly known in Europe. The 

 structure of the abundant peculiar papillae renders it almost 

 certain that the animal is insectivorous. Yet Gould, in the 

 ' Mammals of Australia,' says that its "food consists of bulbous 

 and other roots, obtained by its powerful fore feet and claws," 

 but he adds that there is very little information known respect- 

 ing it. Waterhouse, however, quotes Dr. Grant as the autho- 

 rity for the insectivorous habits of P. nasuta. 



In the paper above-mentioned Dr. Grant says that the faeces 

 were composed of insects, together with some tufts of woolly 

 hair and some vegetable matter, probably taken in accidentally. 

 The stomach and small intestines also contained a little hair. 



