701 



MARSUPIATA. 



MARSUPIATA. 



702 



for the animal the name of the Pig-Footed Bandicoot among the 

 persons of the expedition. 



The drawing of the foot in fact very closely resembles that of the 

 genus Sus in form and characters; two toes only are represented 

 short and of equal length ; but there is a swelling at the base of the 

 first phalanges, which renders it probable that there may be two 

 smaller ones behind. The Perameles, on the contrary, have three 

 middle toes on the fore feet, all of equal length, and armed with very 

 long powerful claws, besides a sm:ill rudimentary toe very distinctly 

 marked on each side. The form and character of tlie hind feet were 

 perfectly similar to those of the Perameles, as were also the teeth, as 

 far as could be judged from the drawing, except that the canines did 

 not appear to surpass the anterior molars in point of size. The ears 

 were long, elliptical, and nearly naked ; the head broad between the 

 ears, and very much attenuated towards the muzzle ; the body about 

 the size of a small rabbit, and the fur very much of the same quality 

 and colour as in that animal. Mr. Ogilby, after expressing his con- 

 fidence in the fidelity of Sir Thomas Mitchell's drawings, and the care 

 with which that gentleman assured him he had made the observation 

 in question, expressed his belief that this animal would be found to 

 constitute a new genus of Marsupials, and proposed for it the provi- 

 sional name of Chosropui, in allusion to the described characters of 

 the fore feet. 



The following is tlfe notice of this animal inserted by Sir Thomas 

 Mitchell in his journal, on the occasion of first discovering it: 

 "June 16, 1836. The most remarkable incident of this day's journey 

 was the discovery of an animal of which I had seen only a head in a 

 fossil state in the limestone caves of Wellington Valley, where, from 

 its very singular form, I supposed it to belong to some extinct species. 

 The chief peculiarity then observed was the broad, head and very long 

 slender snout, which resembled the narrow neck of a wide bottle ; 

 but in the living animal the absence of a tail was still more remarkable. 

 The feet, and especially the fore leg.?, were also singularly formed, the 

 latter resembling those of a pig ; and the marsupial opening was down- 

 wards, and not upwards, as in the Kangaroo and others of that class 

 of animals. This quadruped was discovered by the natives on the 

 ground ; but on being chased it took refuge in a hollow tree, from 

 which they took it alive, all of them declaring that they had never 

 before Been an animal of the kind. This was where the party had 

 commenced the journey up the left bank of the Murray, immediately 

 after crossing that river." Such, Mr. Ogilby remarked, was all the 

 information he possessed at present with regard to this singular 

 animal ; but Mr. Gould had promised to examine the original speci- 

 men on his arrival at Sydney, in the museum of which town it had 

 been deposited ; and Mr. Ogilby therefore hoped that, through the 

 kindness of that gentleman, he should shortly have it in his power to 

 communicate a more detailed description of its form and characters to 

 the Society. ('Zool. Proc.,' 1838.) 



A A i J 



Dental Formula : Incisors, ; Spurious Molars, - ; Molars, 



3 3 4 * 



33 44 , 55 



, or , perhaps 



3-3' 44' ' *5 5' 



Ciiaropua ecawlatus. 



Peramelei (Geoffrey). Head elongated, pointed ; ears moderate, 

 hairy ; posterior great toes rudimentary, and the two succeeding toes 

 united by the skin up to the nails, great toe and little toe of the fore 

 feet with the form of simple tubercles, so that they wear the appear- 

 ance of having only three anterior tots. 



Tho anterior of theie might be termed canines. 



Dental Formula : Incisors, ; Canines, - ; Molars, . - 

 ' 6 'l 1' 77 



= 48. 



Teeth of Perameles, F. Cuvier. 



P. nasutia. Head very long ; muzzle produced ; nose prolonged 

 above the jaw ; fur gray-brown above and white beneath. 



Peraitteles nasutus. 



Dr. J. E. Gray, iu characterising a new species of Perameles 

 (P. Qunnii), very closely agreeing with P. tutsutim, but peculiar for its 

 very short white tail, and in having several indistinct white bands 

 over the haunches, stated that P. Gunnii inhabits Van Diemen's Land, 

 where it frequents gardens, and commits great havoc amongst bulbous 

 roots, which it j^ said to devour with avidity. ('Zool. Proc.,' 1838.) 

 Specimens of P. Lagotia, or Rabbit Perameles, from Swan River, are 

 to be seen in the Gardens of the Zoological Society iu the Regent's 

 Park. 



Diddphys (Linnaeus). Head very much pointed, gape wide, tongue 

 rough with horny papilla; ; ears large and naked ; eyes small ; tail 

 long and tapering, flexible, and prehensile, with hair at the base only, 

 the remaining part being covered with scales. Fore feet with five 

 toes, all armed with strong sharp curved claws ; thumb of the hind 

 foot opposeable and destitute of nail or claw, the other toes or fingers 

 armed with claws like those of the fore feet. Dental Formula : 



Incisors, 10 ; Canines, t=l ; Molars, = =50. 

 8 1 1 7~~~"/ 



This genus, in its geographical distribution, is confined to America. 

 D. Viryiniana. Size that of a domestic cat. Colour dull white. 



