THE LONG-NOSED BANDICOOT. 485 
quarters are drawn some boldly marked black lines, which, when viewed from behind, 
form a singular and rather pleasing pattern, the dark stripes being made more conspicuous 
by bands of whitish-yellow. These marks continue as far as the root of the tail, and a 
single, narrow dark line runs along the whole upper side of the tail, which is of the same 
colour as the body. The fur is rather light upon the head, and the under parts of the 
body, together with the feet, are white, slightly tinged with grey. 
This animal is very widely spread over the eastern and south-eastern parts of Australia, 
but is mostly found in the interior. It specially loves the stony ridges that are so common 
in its native land, and although not very often seen by casual travellers, is of very frequent 
occurrence. Its pace is very swift, and its gait is said to bear some resemblance to that 
of the pig. Its food is of both kinds, and consists of insects and their larve, and of various 
roots and seeds. Its flesh is held in some repute by natives and colonists. 
It is but a small animal, measuring only eighteen inches in total leneth. When the 
animal is killed, it is not easily flay ed, as the skin adheres so tightly to the flesh that its 
removal is a matter of some difficulty, when there is need for preserving the skin in its 
integrity. 
LONG-NOSED BANDICOOT,—Perameles nasita. 
The LonG-NosED BANDICooT is not unlike the preceding animal in form, but differs 
from it in the colouring of its fur, and the greater length of its snout. 
The face, head, and body, are of a brown tint, ‘pencilled with black on the upper 
portions, and the sides are of a pale brown, sometimes warmed with a rich purplish hue. 
The edge of the upper lip is white, as are also the under portions of the body, and the 
fore-legs and feet. This fur is very harsh to the touch. The total length of this animal is 
about twenty-one inches, the tail being five inches in length. 
The food of the Long-nosed Bandicoot is said to be of a purely vegetable nature, and 
the animal is reported to occasion some havoc among the gardens and granaries of the 
colonists. Its long and powerful claws aid it in obtaining roots, and it is not at all 
unlikely that it may, at the same time that it unearths and eats a root, seize and devour 
the terrestrial larvee which are found in almost every square inch of ground. The 
lengthened nose and sharp teeth which present so great a resemblance to the same organs 
in insectivorous shrews, afford good reasons for conjecturing that they may be employ ed 
in much the same manner. 
The dentition of the Bandicoot is rather interesting, and will be found detailed at 
some length in the table of generic distinctions at the end of the volume. 
ih at 2 
