﻿THE NAIL-TAILED WALLABIES. 49 



markedly forwards. The use of the horny spur to the tail — 

 paralleled elsewhere among Mammals only in some individuals 

 of the Lion — is at present quite unknown. 



I. NAIL-TAILED WALLABY. ONYCHOGALE UNGUIFERA. 



Macropus iinguifer, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1840, p. 93. 

 Onychogalea utiguifer^ Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus., p. 88 



(1843). 

 Halmaturus unguifer, Schinz, Synops. Mamm., vol. i., p. 547 



(1844). 

 Onychogalea annultcauda, De Vis, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland, 



vol. i., p. 157 (1884). 

 Onychogale unguifera^ Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 74 



(1888). 



Characters. — Size large; form light and slender; nose broad, 

 partially haired ; fur thick, close, and rather short. General 

 colour rich sandy-fawn, with a darker band down the back ; 

 under-parts white ; ears thinly clothed with white hairs ; an 

 indistinct white mark behind the elbow ; a white hip-stripe ; 

 limbs white, with the exception of the back of the hind legs, 

 which is fawn. Tail very long, white above, sandy-grey 

 beneath, the terminal third with brown rings, gradually darken- 

 ing posteriorly, and finally coalescing with the black tufted tip, 

 also forming a crest on the upper surface ; terminal nail large, 

 flattened laterally, and concealed by the pencil of hairs. 

 Length of head and body about 26 inches ; of tail about the 

 same. 



Distribution. — North-western and Northern Central Australia. 



This species, of which the habits appear to be quite un- 

 known, was first made known to science through a specimen 

 brought home by Mr. Bynoe, of H.M.S. "Beagle." 



2 E 



