76 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



This Wombat is "apparently now extremely rare and restricted 

 to remote parts of large properties." Its extinction is "apparently 

 imminent." (E. Le G. Troughton, in litt., April 16, 1937.) 



General color gray, mixed with black, and washed with fawn 

 (especially on rump and back) ; inner surface of ears, throat, and 

 chest white; a broad curved blotch before and a spot behind the 

 eye, black; forearm and feet dark brown; rhinarium hairy; skull 

 relatively broader than in other Wombats. Head and body, 1,020 

 mm. (De Vis, 1900.) 



The existence of a Wombat in Queensland was regarded as more 

 or less mythical until three specimens of the present form were 

 secured at the type locality and vicinity in the last decade of the 

 nineteenth century. The subsequent record of the animal seems 

 very meager. 



In 1923 Wilkins (1928, pp. 25-27) made a search for it in the 

 Moonie River district, near Hollymount, finding "ancient tunnel- 

 lings of many wombats" but not encountering any of the animals. 

 He concluded that "there is no doubt that it is almost, if not quite, 

 extinct in this district." 



Its range would appear to be restricted to southeastern Queens- 

 land. 



Central Queensland Hairy-nosed Wombat 



LASIORHINUS LATIFRONS BARNARDI Longman 



Lasiorhinus latifrons barnardi Longman, Mem. Queensland Mus., vol. 11, pt. 3, 

 p. 283, 1939. ("Epping Forest Station, 75 miles west of Clermont," east- 

 central Queensland.) 



This recently described Wombat is known from four specimens 

 (three of which are only skulls) , and it is considered on "the verge 

 of extinction" (Longman, 1939, p. 287) . 



General dorsal color brown, mottled with gray, and interspersed 

 with black hairs; rhinarium completely clothed with short brown 

 hairs; ears elongate, well haired outside, with white tufts; under 

 parts dirty gray. Total length, 3 feet 4 inches; tail, 2^ inches. 

 (Longman, 1939, pp. 283, 286.) 



Although Wombats "were widely distributed in Queensland in the 

 Pleistocene and two present-day species were known to occur spar- 

 ingly in southern parts of the State, it was somewhat surprising 

 to have definite evidence of living wombats in a locality in central 

 Queensland. This extends their range by over 400 miles. . . . 



"Mr. Charles Barnard reports that there were many burrows in 

 the district, but very few tracks of the animals were seen. . . . 



"Only three animals were seen, one of which was shot. As sug- 



