﻿124 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY. 



resemble the latter in having a parachute-like expansion of skin 

 along the flanks, is indeed true ; but this can scarcely be re- 

 garded as an instance of parallelism in its proper sense, since it 

 is obvious that without the special development of the fore 

 limbs characterising the Bats, there is no method by which 

 Mammals could take flying leaps save by such a development 

 of the skin on the sides of the body. 



As a family, the Wombats are distinguished by the following 

 combination of characters : — 



Form stout and clumsy ; muzzle short and broad ; limbs sub- 

 equal, thick, short, and strong; fore feet with five subequal toes, 

 each furnished with a powerful claw ; in the hind feet the first 

 toe, or hallux, short and clawless, the remainder with long, 

 curved claws, the second and third of the series being imper- 

 fectly united in a common membrane. Tail rudimental ; 

 stomach simple ; intestine with a blind appendage, or caecum. 

 Teeth growing continuously, and thus never forming roots ; a 

 single pair of incisors in each jaw, which are large, curved, 

 strong, and chisel-like, having enamel only on their front and 

 lateral surfaces ; no canines. Cheek-teeth five in num.ber, and 

 separated by a long gap from the incisors ; the molars strongly 

 curved, with two lobes, the convexity being internal in those of 

 the upper, and in the opposite direction in those of the lower 

 jaw ; premolar with only a single lobe, but otherwise similar to 

 the molars. 



The Wombats are confineci to Australia and Tasmania south 

 of the tropics ; and in habits are digging and root-eating 

 animals. 



WOMBATS. GENUS PITASCOLOMYS. 

 Fhascolomys, Geoffr., Ann. Museum, vol ii., p. 364 (1803). 



The three species of Wombat are included in this genus, 



