﻿THE NARROW- FOOTED POUCHED MICE. 1^9 



seriously damage or kill one another. Like their allies, they are 

 inveterate enemies to Mice, which they fall upon at once with 

 great ferocity, killing more than they can possibly devour. 



When treating of this species, Krefft makes an interesting 

 remark relating to a peculiar habit of the family in general. 

 "A singular peculiarity," he writes, "in all the Dasyti?-idcE is 

 that they carry their ears folded down, never erect, when alive ; 

 and, though I do not want to find fault with Gould's beautiful 

 work, I must say that, in this respect, the representations he 

 gives of this tribe of the animals of Australia, are not over true 

 to nature." We fear that the same remark would apply to the 

 plates with which the present work is illustrated. 



II. COMMON POUCHED MOUSE. SMINTHOPSIS MURINA. 



Phascologale murina^ Waterhouse, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1837. p. 



76. 

 Phascologale albipes^ W^aterhouse, op. cif., 1842, p. 48. 



Antechinus fuliginosus, Gould, Mamm. Australia, vol, i., pi. 



xli., 1852. 

 Antechinus albipes^ Gould, op. cit., pi. xlii. 

 Antechimis nmrinus, Gould, op. cit., pi. xliii. 

 Smiuthopsis niiifi/ia^ Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p, 303 



(1888). 



[Plate XXIX.) 



Characters. — Size small; form very slender and delicate; fur 

 soft and fine. General colour finely grizzled Mouse-grey ; 

 chin white; under-parts greyish-white. Ears variable in size, 

 their backs uniform slaty flesh-colour. Feet, and sometimes 

 also the fore legs, white. Greater portion of soles of hind feet 

 naked and finely granulated, without distinct striated pads. 

 Tail moderate, slender, not thickened, brown above, and grey 

 or white beneath. Eight teats. Length of head and body 

 about 3^^ inches ; of tail nearly the same. 



N 3 



