﻿THE LONG-LEGGED POUCHED MICE. l8l 



Characters. — Size large ; fur rather short, very soft and silky. 

 General colour grizzled grey ; under-parts white or pale yellow ; 

 face sandy rufous with one median and a pair of lateral black 

 stripes ; cheeks, sides of neck, and tufts at bases of ears bright 

 rufous. Ears very large, and nearly naked. Outer surface of 

 upper part of fore legs and thighs coloured like the back ; 

 remainder of limbs white. Soles of hind feet probably as in 

 the last species. Tail short-haired, dark brown above, paler 

 beneath. Number of teats unknown. Length of head and 

 body about 5 inches ; of tail nearly the same. 



Distribution. — Herbert River district, Queensland. 



THE LONG-LEGGED POUCHED MICE. GENUS 

 ANTECHINOMYS. 



Antechinomys^ Krefft, Proc, Zool. Soc, 1866, p. 434. 



Body unspotted ; ears very large ; tail very long and tufted ; 

 limbs much elongated, the lower portions of the legs and the 

 hind feet being disproportionately long ; toes short and sub- 

 equal ; no first toe (hallux) to the hind foot ; soles of feet 

 without distinct pads, the greater portion of those of the hinder 

 pair being hairy. Number of teats unknown. Three pairs of 

 premolar teeth in both jaws ; canine teeth very small. 



The special characteristics of this genus are the great elon- 

 gation of the limbs, and the absence of the first toe of the hind 

 foot. 



The one known species is a jumping terrestrial animal, 

 bearing the same relationship to the Narrow-footed Pouched 

 Mice as the Jumping Shrews of Africa present to the Tree- 

 Shrews of India. Like its allies, it feeds exclusively on insects. 

 Mr. Thomas remarks that the relationship of this genus to 

 Sinmthopsis is similar to that presented by the Jumping Mice 

 {flapa/otis) of Australia to ordinary Mice {Mus) ; this salta- 

 torial mode of progression having been doubtless developed 



