356 THE HIND FOOT OR PES. [CHAP. 



and opposable to, the other four digits ; it has a short 

 rounded terminal phalanx, which bears no nail. The other 

 digits are subequal, and have compressed, pointed, curved 

 ungual phalanges. 



In the Dasyuridcz, the foot is comparatively narrow ; the 

 second,. third, fourth, and fifth toes are subequal; the hallux 

 is either very small and placed close to the others, or com- 

 pletely suppressed, as in the Thylacine. 



In the Wombats (Phascolornyida), the foot is short and 

 broad ; the hallux is very short, with only one rounded 

 phalanx, and divaricated from the other toes. These are 

 nearly equal in length ; the fourth and fifth are stouter than 

 the second and third, thus showing a slight tendency towards 

 the condition met with in the next group. 



In all the remaining Marsupials a peculiar condition of 

 the pes, called syndactylism, prevails. Whatever the con- 

 dition of the other toes, or whatever the general form of 

 function of the foot may be, the second and third metar- 

 tarsals and digits are very slender, and inclosed nearly to 

 their extremities in a common integument, so that they look 

 externally like one small toe with two claws. 



In the Kangaroo (Macropiis) the whole foot (Fig. 130) is 

 very long and narrow, and rests entirely on the ground in 

 the ordinary position of the animal. The tarsal segment is 

 short, the metatarsus very long. The cuboid is greatly 

 developed, the navicular and the three cuneiform bones 

 exceedingly small, in conformity with the condition of the 

 digits they respectively support. There is a sesamoid on 

 the plantar surface of the tarsus. The fourth metatarsal 

 and digit are enormously developed, the fifth moderately 

 so ; the second and third are nearly as long as the fifth, but 

 excessively attenuated. There is no rudiment of a hallux. 

 The ungual phalanges are conical, pointed, slightly curved 



