Wood Jones — Thalacomys 349 



but little marked, the .skull is lifi'htly built, and the muzzle is extremely elongated 

 and narrow. The posterior ends of the nasal bones are separated from the line 

 joining the two lachrymal foramina by an interval of ;") mm. The palate is 

 greatly elongated, and extends for a di.stanee of 3 mm. behind the last molar 

 tooth. The posterior portion of the palate is somewhat rounded, the molars being 

 arranged in two slightly erescentie rows. The po.sterior palatine vacuities are 

 peculiarly small, and they extend from the mid point of the middle ])remolar only 

 to the anterior margin of the second molar. The small size of these vacuities 

 con.stitutes a very striking and very constant distinction of the s})ecies. The 

 teeth are small, the molars in particular being considerably smaller than those of 

 T. sagitta. Considerable intervals exist between the adjacent lingual margins of 

 the individual molars. 



The general specific characters of 7'. mgripes may therefore be sunnucd up 

 as follows : 



Exterriial Characters, Size fairly large, head and body length being 

 820 mm. and upwards. General colour much as in T. lagotis. Manns black 

 above over the carpus and metacarpus, white over the digits. Pes black, both 

 above and below, a few Avhite hairs on the base of the ungual phalanx -of the 

 fourth digit in some specimens. Tail with the black portion shorter than the 

 white portion. 



Cranial Characters. Skull fairly large; basal length between 70 and 80 

 mm., or very slightly more. Muscular crests not well developed. Tlu^ posterior 

 (molar) portion of the palate slightly rounded in outline; the molars arranged 

 in erescentie rows. The posterior end of the palate extends well behind the last 

 molar tooth. The posterior palatine vacuities reach from about the central 

 point of the middle premolar to the anterior edge of the second molar. The 

 nasal bones extend backwards so that their posterior ends fall short of the line 

 joining the two lachrymal foramina by an interval of about 5 mm. See figs. 353, 

 355, 356, and 357. 



Dental Characters. The molars are small. Considerable intervals exist 

 between the lingual margins of adjacent teeth. T^rom the front of the canine to 

 the back of M*^ is a distance of some 35 mm., or slightly more. 



A spirit preserved male .specimen is in the collection of the South Australian 

 Museum, and I have examined five others, all males. All the specimens have 

 come from a restricted area around Ooldea Soak, and I am indebted to Mr. A. G. 

 Bolam for all the material that I have been able to examine. The Museum 

 specimen was sent in l)y Mrs. Daisy M. Bates, and all the examples have been 

 captured by the aboriginals around the Soak. It is very much to be hoped that 

 further collecting will make it possible to examine a female specimen. 



