﻿T48 ALLEN'S naturalist's LIBRARY. 



menced the journey up the left bank of the Murray, immedi- 

 ately after crossing that river." 



The mobt remarkable statement in this account is the 

 alleged occurrence of fossilised remains of this animal in the 

 caves of the Wellington Valley, since, among all the vast num- 

 bers of bones subsequently acquired from that district by the 

 British Museum, none are referable to the Pig-footed Bandi- 

 coot. It may be remarked, in passing, that from the structure 

 of this family, it might have been thought that the backward 

 direction of the opening of the pouch was the original con- 

 dition among the Marsupials, and that its forward direction in 

 the Kangaroos, and other forms which habitually maintain a 

 more or less nearly upright position, had been acquired in order 

 to prevent the helpless young from falling out. The condition 

 prevailing in the DasyuridcE disproves, however, this view. Bur- 

 rowing in the ground like the other members of the family, the 

 Pig-footed Bandicoot seems to be omnivorous in its tastes, but 

 appears to be specially fond of insects. Sturt states that in 

 the Darling district these animals are generally found lying out 

 in the grass, and that when chased by dogs they almost in- 

 variably took refuge, after a short run, in hollow logs, from 

 which they were readily cut out. In the open they squat like 

 Rabbits, laying back their broad ears along the shoulders in a 

 very similar manner. When confined in a box, captured speci- 

 mens ate sparingly of grass and tender leaves, although show- 

 ing a much greater partiality for flesh. The latter diet did not, 

 however, appear to suit their constitution, all the specimens 

 dying in succession. 



Although still found thirty years ago on the plains of the 

 Murray district, Krefft states that it was even then rapidly becom- 

 ing rare, owing to the increase of cattle and sheep. After much 

 trouble, that observer succeeded in securing some living speci- 

 niens, whose history he recQunts as follows: "About sun- 



