0/i a new Gtrius of Mammalia. 33 



in lUo botU.m oi' the mouth, with a broader base and a flat 

 crown, do not seem to have been used : they arc furrowcil 

 transversallv, so that their crown Is rough, with several 

 small point's, which are the sununits of these moJar teeth. 

 Tliis observation might give reason to suspect that the 

 Peramdes nasata does' not supply, like the daysures and the 

 didelpha, the want of flesh by a vegetable regnnen, but 

 that this marsupial contents itself witli msects; and mdced 

 there is reason to suppose that it forms of them its principal 

 nourishment, its muzzle being too long to fit it with any 

 advantage for combat : its fore feet, which render it so easy 

 for it to^dig up the earth when searching for its food, ap- 

 peared to me to be a proor ot it. 



The ears of the Ptranwles nasuta, however, are short and 

 oblong, and its eves are very small. Its hair is moderately 

 thick ,° more abun'dant and stifl'er on the shoulder, mixed h 

 little with some verv thick, and al)undance of silky hair, ash- 

 coloured at the root, and fawn-colour or black at the points ; 

 the general lint above is of a bright brown colour : the 

 whole lower part of the body is white, and the claws are 

 yellowish; the tail may be s-fficicntly strong to contribute 

 in the same manner as' that of tin: kangurof.s to progressive 

 motion; it is besides of a more decided tint, brown in- 

 clining to maroon above, and below of a chesnnt colour. 



2. Fcramclcs olesjila. (Plate II.) Though 1 do not 

 observe that this animal is in any manner fatter than 

 others of the same genus, I have retained the trivial nan;e 

 given to it by Dr. Shaw, in my opinion we cannot be 

 too cautious in changing a denomination consecrated by 

 usase. 



Twas acquainted long ago, by means of the Aafuralisi s 

 MiscMavy, with the figuie c'^ iha didelphis obtsida, but I ia 

 vain endeavoured to determine its relations. I set out on thiii 

 research lailher bv the way of analogy, since this species be- 

 lonsed to none of my gen'rra of the order of the marsupials, 

 nor%y the description ^)f Dr. Shaw, since he qualifies the 

 teeth oniv by the epithet of numerous. I however presumed 

 that this'uhght be the type of a new family ; and, under this 

 persua-iion, knowing t'liat the ol'csula formed part of the 

 collection of Dr. Hunter, I u rote to England, to Mr. 

 I'arkinson, for the information 1 wished to obtain. I re- 

 ceived ill return the drawing froin which the annexed figure 

 was entrraved. 



It was thvreforc only when I saw the fn'X peramele of 

 which I have spoken, that 1 was able to supply, by con- 

 jecture, the ideas which were still wanting, and to ascribe 

 Vol. ai. No. SI. /•(-/<. 1305. C to 



