﻿THE NARROW-FOOTED POUCHED MICE. I77 



short-haired, rufous above and dark brown beneath, the ter- 

 minal half black and slightly bushy all round. Number of 

 teats not known. Length of head and body about 5 inches ; 

 of tail 6 inches. 



In addition to its inferior dimensions, this species may be 

 readily distinguished by the base of the tail being red instead 

 of grey, as well as by the greater proportionate length of that 

 appendage. 



Distribution. — South and West Australia. 



THE NARROW-FOOTED POUCHED MICE. GENUS 

 SMINTHOPSIS. 



Sminthopsis, Thomas, Ann. Mus. Geneva, ser. 2, vol. iv., p. 503 

 (1887). 



Body unspotted ; form slender and graceful ; ears large 

 and broad ; tail moderate or short, short-haired, sometimes 

 thickened ; hind feet slender and delicate, with subequal toes 

 furnished with small delicate claws; a clawless first toe, or 

 hallux, on the hind foot ; soles of hind feet partially haired, the 

 naked portion granulated, and with or without pads, the latter, 

 when present, being either smooth or but faintly striated. 

 Pouch well-developed ; eight or ten teats. Three pairs of 

 premolar teeth in each jaw. 



The Pouched Mice of this genus may be readily distinguished 

 from Phascologale by the conformation of their hind feet, which 

 are narrow, with granulated or hairy soles : whereas in the 

 latter these feet are broad, with smooth naked soles. 



The Narrow-footed Pouched Mice, which are confined to 

 Australia and Tasmania, although agreeing with the members 

 of the preceding genus in being insectivorous, differ in being 

 exclusively terrestrial. Hence they may be hkened to the 

 Shrews of other regions. The three smaller species are so alike 

 that their discrimination is a matter of some difficulty ; and it is 

 8 N 



