﻿1 82 Allen's naturalist's library. 



in accordance with the exigencies of the arid sandy country 

 inhabited ahke by Anteclmiomys and Hapalotis. 



L JUMPING POUCHED MOUSE, ANTECHINOMYS LANIGER. 



Phascologale lanigera^ Gould, Mamm. Australia, vol. i., pi. 



xxxiii. (1856). 

 Afitec/iino/nys laniger^ Krefift, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1866, p. 434; 



Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 309(1888). 



Characters. — Size small ; form slender and graceful ; fur long, 

 soft, and fine. General colour slaty-grey , under-parts white ; 

 a fawn-coloured patch behind each ear. Ears suboval, almost 

 entirely covered with short, fawn-coloured hairs. Lower por- 

 tions of limbs, inclusive of the feet, white. Tail very long and 

 slender, short-haired and fawn-coloured, except the terminal 

 inch, which is tufted and black. Length of head and body 

 about 3^ inches; of tail 5 inches. 



Distribution — The interior of New South Wales and Southern 

 Queensland. 



It may be mentioned that, through ignorance of their habits, 

 a pair of these beautiful little animals are represented in Gould's 

 " Mammals of Australia " as disporting themselves on the bough 

 of a tree, whereas, as we have said, they are purely terrestrial. 

 This plate, which is also by no means remarkable for the 

 accuracy with which the animals are portrayed, has been repro- 

 duced as a woodcut in Brehm's " Thierleben." 



THE MARSUPIAL ANT-EATERS. GENUS MYRMECOBIUS. 



Myrmecobius^ Waterhouse, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1836, p. 69. 



The beautiful and curious little animal, which forms the sole 

 representative of this genus, differs so remarkably from all the 

 other members of the Dasyiiridce, that it is clearly entitled to 

 form a sub-family (^Myr)iiecobiince)^ if, indeed, as many zoologists 



