78 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



It is much to be hoped that Isoodon nauticus, Petrogale pearsoni, Thylogale 

 flindersi, Leporillus jonesi, and Rattus murrayi are not permitted to follow 

 the Tungoos of St. Francis Island into the ranks of recently exterminated 

 animals. 



Gaimard's Rat-kangaroo 



BETTONGIA GAIMARDI (Desmarest) 



Kangurus Gaimardi Desmarest, Mammalogie, vol. 2, suppl., p. 542, 1822. 



(Vicinity of Port Jackson, New South Wales.) 

 FIG.: Quoy and Gaimard, Voy. Uranie et Phys., Zool., atlas, pi. 10, 1824 



(as Hypsiprymnus white}. 



This rat-kangaroo of eastern Australia is apparently extinct. 



The general color is grizzled gray, with a yellowish tinge; tail 

 colored like body for the basal third, then darkening and the hair 

 lengthening until there is a distinct black crest on the terminal third ; 

 under side of tail white. Head and body, 390 mm.; tail, 280 mm. 

 (Thomas, 1888, p. 109.) 



Le Souef remarks (1923, p. 110) that this is one of three mammals 

 that "are entirely confined to the fox area of Eastern Australia" and 

 "require our immediate attention if the remnants are to be saved. 

 ... I cannot locate any Gaimard's Rat-Kangaroos; they used to 

 live on the Mountains and western plains of New South Wales." 



Le Souef and Burrell say (1926, p. 233) : "We have noted Gaim- 

 ard's rat-kangaroo in the open forest on the Blue Mountains . . . ." 

 They add, in regard to the group of rat-kangaroos in general: "Be- 

 fore the advent of the fox the rat-kangaroos were extremely numer- 

 ous, so much so that special measures had to be taken by settlers 

 to protect crops and haystacks, but now many species throughout a 

 large part of their range are very rare, and presumably in a short 

 time they will be a thing of the past wherever the fox can pene- 

 trate." 



"I think that this species is definitely extinct. I have not seen or 

 heard of it for upwards of 20 years." (A. S. Le Souef, in Hit., 

 February 15, 1937.) 



E. Le G. Troughton writes (in Hit., April 16, 1937) that it once 

 inhabited coastal New South Wales, but it is now apparently extinct, 

 possibly since the advent of the fox. 



According to C. W. Brazenor (in Hit., March 3, 1937) , there are 

 few Victorian specimens, and the last record was in 1877. 



Longman (1930, p. 59) includes southern Queensland in the range 

 of the species. 



