THE MARSUPIAL MOLES. 189 
modes of life, or to genetic affinity. Professor E. D. Cope, of 
Philadelphia, pronounced emphatically in favour of the latter 
view, at the same time expressing the opinion that /Vo/oryctes 
was probably a member of the Insectivora, and not a Marsupial 
at all. Subsequent researches have, however, conclusively 
proved its Marsupial affinities; and since it is perfectly clear 
that the Marsupial Mole could not have been the ancestor of 
the Golden Moles, and the latter the original stock whence the 
whole of the other Insectivora took origin, there is probably no 
sort of relationship between the two genera, whose mutual re- 
semblance would thus seem solely due to parallelism in de- 
velopment. At the same time it must be confessed that the 
exact similarity between the molar teeth of the two is some- 
what difficult to explain, although it may probably be ac- 
counted for by both having retained this primitive type of 
tooth from early ancestors. 
THE MARSUPIAL MOLE. NOTORYCTES TYPHLOPS. 
LVotoryctes typhlops, Stirling, Trans. Roy. Soc. South Australia, 
1891, p. 154; Ogilby, Cat. Australian Mammals, p. 5 
(1892). 
(Plate XXX.) 
Characters.—Size small; form stout; fur long, soft, and of a 
bright lustrous silky appearance. General colour golden red, 
sometimes darker across the loins, and a patch of darkish red 
surrounding the pouch; inner surface of pouch sparsely lined 
‘with reddish fawn-coloured hairs. Upper surface of tail 
covered with fur similar to that of the back on its basal half, 
the sides and lower surface being naked. Length of head and 
body about 5 inches ; of tail rather more than an inch, 
Distribution.—Central South Australia. 
Habits.—It appears from the account given by its describer 
Dr. Stirling that the Marsupial Mole, or “ Ur-quamata,” as it is 
