MYRMECOBIUS RUFUS. (49 



openings near the palato-maxillary suture, these open- 

 ings are sometimes almost obliterated, as in the section 

 of the Petaurists, to which I have given the name 

 Belideus, and in the great Kangaroo, (Macropus 

 major) whilst, on the other hand, similar openings 

 are common in the Placental series ; in fact, I can 

 see no distinctive character between the Placental 

 and Marsupial animals as regards the number of 

 palatine openings they vary in both groups. 



Through the kindness of Mr. Gould, who allowed 

 me to examine two skins and a perfect skeleton of 

 Myrmecobius recently obtained by him from Swan 

 River, I am enabled to clear up all doubts as to the 

 marsupial nature of Myrmecobius. In a female 

 specimen I could distinctly trace the remains of a 

 pouch ; the mammae were in the ordinary position 

 found in the Marsupicdia ; a male possessed the 

 peculiar characters of that group, and, moreover, the 

 skeleton presents well-developed Marsupial bones. 

 In the skull of an adult animal I find all the pecu- 

 liarities so ably pointed out by Professor Owen as 

 serving to distinguish the Marsupials. From a care- 

 ful examination of this skull I am more than ever 

 convinced that Myrmecobius leads off to the Edentate 

 orders the Echidnas ; in fact, that my origina* 

 views are correct. 



RED MYRMECOBIUS. 



Myrmecribius rufus. 



Major Mitchell gives this name to an animal di 



