Mr. J. E. Gray on new Australian Mammalia. 39 



opportunity of examining the six volumes of Jones's Icones, I find 

 not only that the species is identical with the insect figured by Jones, 

 but that there are no figures contained therein agreeing with those 

 published by Donovan. I have not however struck the species out 

 of my Decade, because, having been entirely omitted by Boisduval, 

 this recovery of a lost species is as important as the description of 

 an entirely new one. 



N.B. Figures and detailed descriptions of the above Decade are 

 prepared, and will be published hereafter. 



VI. — Description of two new species of Mammalia discovered 

 in Australia by Captain George Grey, Governor of Soutfi 

 Australia. By J. E. Gray, Esq., F.R.S., &c. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 

 Gentlemen, 

 Capt. George Grey has just sent to the British Museum 

 specimens of two new species of Australian animals belonging 

 to two genera Avhich have not before been accurately de- 

 scribed ; I therefore have sent you the accompanying short 

 account of them and the extract from Capt. Grey's letter, 

 which states where they were taken, and the kind of country 

 they inhabit ; accompanying these skins was a specimen of 

 a new species of Pedionomus allied to P. torqitatns. 



Capt. Grey obsei^es in his letter that he has discovered a 

 new species of Dasyurus, an animal allied to the Hydromus of 

 GeofFroy, but which he thinks is likely to form a new genus, 

 and two new species of Phascogale. 



In his voyage out he has found a third species of Prion, 

 and a new species of Puffimis. 



He further remarks, that he is collecting the skeletons of 

 the different animals ; and, among other interesting facts, he 

 has observed that the sternum of the Podargus does not re- 

 semble that of the CaprimulgidcE, but much more closely that 

 of the owls. I shall now proceed to describe the mammalia. 



Of the first, Capt. Grey observes, — " The most interesting 

 of these specimens, I think, is a representative of the family 

 Insectivora, not I believe before found in Australia. This 

 animal, from its general appearance and habits, would appear 

 to be a true Sorex ; it inhabits the low scrubby and heathy- 

 looking bushes near King George's Sound, and can only be 

 got at by setting the scrub on fire. I have a second species 

 of this animal, which differs from the one I have forwarded in 

 being larger and somewhat diiferently marked ; it is however 

 possible that this may be only a variety and not a distinct 

 species. I have yet only obtained three of these animals." 



