﻿1 28 Allen's naturalist's library. 



hi. hairy-nosed wombat. phascolomys latifrons. 



Phascolomys latifrofis, Owen, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1845, p. 82 ; 



Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 217 (1888). 

 Phascolomys iasiorhinus, Gould, Mamm. Austral., vol. 1., 



pi. lix. (1863). 



Characters. — Size intermediate between that of the other two 

 species ; muzzle covered with velvety white hair ; fur straight, 

 soft, and silky. General colour mottled grey ; tip of muzzle, 

 a spot above and another below each eye, cheeks, throat, and 

 chest white ; chin black ; remainder of under-parts grey. Ears 

 comparatively long, narrow, and pointed, sparsely clothed ex- 

 ternally with black hairs, internally naked. Thirteen pairs of 

 ribs. Length of head and body about 40 inches. 



Distribution. — South Australia. 



THE BANDICOOTS. FAMILY PERAMELID.^. 



With the Wombats we take leave of the Diprotodont, or 

 first primary subdivision of the Marsupials, and the Bandi- 

 coots bring us to the first family of the second or Polyprotodon 

 sub-division of the order, which includes the whole of its re- 

 maining representatives. 



The Polyprotodonts derive their title from the presence of a 

 numerous series of incisor teeth in the upper jaw ; there being 

 o;tinerally four or five nearly equal-sized pairs of these teeth in 

 the upper, and three in the lower jaw, although in the case of 

 one specialised genus the number is reduced to three pairs in 

 both the upper and the lower jaw. In size the incisors are 

 small, and the tusks are large and pointed ; while there is never 

 that long gap between the incisor and molar series, which forms 

 such a characteristic feature in the dentition of many of the 



