﻿THE MARSUPIAL MOLES. 1 87 



it is reported to ascend trees with facility, and to be partially 

 arboreal in its habits ; while it always frequents well-wooded 

 districts. In capturing Ants, after the nest has been laid open 

 by its fore paws, the long extensile tongue is protruded among 

 the insects, and held there till a mass of them have collected 

 upon it, when it is quickly retracted, and the food swallowed. 

 The creature will, however, also eat insects of other kinds, and 

 even, it is said, grass. 



There have been recently discovered on the palate of the 

 Banded Ant-eater traces of horny structures, which apparently 

 correspond to the so-called horny teeth of the Duck-bill among 

 the egg-laying Mammals. Since there is also a certain 

 similarity between the molar teeth of these otherwise widely 

 sundered Mammals, this is a fact of some interest, as tending 

 to suggest a distant relationship between this primitive Mar- 

 supial and the still lower Monotremes. 



THE MARSUPIAL MOLES. FAMILY 

 NOTORYCTID.^E. 



Three pairs of incisor teeth in both jaws. Limbs subequal, 

 short, stout, and strong, each with five distinct toes ; in the 

 hind foot a well-developed and clawed first toe, or hallux, not 

 opposable to the others, which are unequal in size. No exter- 

 nally visible ear-conchs or eyes. Collar-bones, or clavicles, 

 well-developed ; and chevron-bones present on the inferior 

 aspect of the vertebrae of the tail. Upper molar teeth triangular, 

 with three cusps. 



THE MARSUPIAL MOLES. GENUS NOTORYCTES. 

 Notoryctes^ Stirling, Trans. Roy. Soc. South Australia, 1891, 

 P- 154- 

 Upper aspect of muzzle covered with a hard horny shield, 

 divided into two portions by a transverse ridge ; mouth centrally 



