﻿1 66 Allen's naturalist's library. 



Dasyi{rHs fusciis, INIilne-Edwards, Comptes Rendus., vol. xc, 

 p. 1518 (18S0). 



Characters. — General size, structure, and coloration as in the 

 last, from which this species may be distinguished by its rather 

 stouter build, shorter muzzle and ears, shorter and more woolly 

 fur, and the rufous or fulvous tinge in the general colour of 

 the back. 



Distribution. — North-western New Guinea. 



THE POUCHED MICE. GENUS PHASCOLOGALE. 

 Phascologak^ Temminck, Monogr. Mamm., vol. i., p. 56 (1827). 



Body unspotted ; form slender and graceful ; ears rounded ; 

 tail long, bushy, crested, or nearly naked ; feet broad and short ; 

 toes subequal, with sharp curved claws ; hind foot with a short, 

 clawless, first toe, or hallux ; soles of feet naked and granulated, 

 with fine transversely granulated pads, that of the hallux being 

 frequently divided into two. Pouch practically wanting ; 

 number of teats varying from two to five pairs. Three pairs 

 of premolar teeth in each jaw, except in P. cristicauda, where 

 the last lower one is wanting. 



Although, as we have had occasion to mention in analogous 

 instances, the name of Pouched, Mice is far from being free 

 from objection, yet since the scientific names of neither this 

 nor the following genus lend themselves readily to con- 

 version into English, we are compelled to use the colonial 

 designation as the vernacular names of the members of both 

 genera. 



The pretty little animals belonging to the present genus 

 thus designated, range over the whole of Australia and New 

 Guinea, together with the adjacent islands, and are completely 

 arboreal and insectivorous in their habits. As is well stated by 

 Mr. Thomas, they appear in the Australasian region to occupy 

 the place held in India and the adjacent countries by the Tree- 



