﻿(t(i ^ ALLEN'S naturalist's LIBRARY. 



Haljits. — Like the other members of the genus, this species 

 appears to prefer ground covered with low bush or long grass. 

 Mainly nocturnal, it is said to be always scratching the ground 

 in search of the roots on which it feeds, and in cultivated dis- 

 tricts it inflicts much harm on the potato crops. 



THE PLAIN RAT-KANGAROOS. GENUS CALOPRYMNUS. 

 Caloprymnus, Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 114 (1888). 



Nose naked ; ears short and rounded ; fore claws long, and 

 strong ; hind feet longer than head, with the naked soles coarsely 

 granulated ; tail thin, cylindrical, evenly short-haired, without 

 crest. In respect of the conformation of the skull, the single 

 representative of this genus agrees with Bettongia, but the 

 molar teeth are like those of yEpyprymnus, while the last pre- 

 molar resembles that of Potorous, the nasal region of the skull 

 bemg peculiar. The species is thus intermediate between the 

 other members of the sub-family, and affords some grounds for 

 the inclusion of the whole of them in the single genus 

 Potorons. 



I. plain RAT-KANGAROO. CALOPRYMNUS CAMPESTRIS. 



Bettongia campestris, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1843, p. 81. 

 Hypsiprymnus campestris, Schinz, Syn. Mamm., vol. ii., Suppl., 



p. 47 (1845). 

 Calopry7?inus campestris, Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 



115(1888). 



Characters. — Size large ; form delicate and slender ; face 

 broad between the eyes ; fur soft and straight. General colour 

 grizzled grey, darker on the back, brighter on the flanks ; under- 

 parts pale sandy-white ; ears very close, short, with yellow 

 hairs. Legs bright sandy rufous ^ feet white, short haired ; 



