MARSUPIAL MOLE. 33 



those of the placental or higher mammals. Thus, for 

 instance, the kangaroos in Australia play the same role as 

 the deer and ruminants in other parts of the world, while 

 the Tasmanian wolf takes the place of the ordinary wolf, 

 the wombats act the part of the marmots, the phalangers 

 of squirrels, and the bandicoots of the civets and weasels. 

 Till recently, it was thought that the place of the moles 

 (whether insectivorous or rodent) was unoccupied in the 

 Antipodes, and that no marsupial had adapted itself to a 

 tunnelling subterranean existence. Within the last few 

 years it has, however, been discovered that the sandy 

 deserts of south Central Australia are inhabited by a small 

 burrowing creature belonging to the pouched group, which 

 has been fitly termed the marsupial mole (Notary ctes) ; 



FIG. 14. Under-surface of the Marsupial Mole, two-thirds 

 natural size. (After Stirling.) 



and it is not a little remarkable that in general appearance 

 this tiny animal is even more mole-like than are some of 

 the above-mentioned burrowing rodents, thus showing how 

 all-powerful is adaptation to environment, and of how 

 little import is internal structure in modifying the external 

 form of an animal. The general mole -like appearance of 

 the Australian burrower will be apparent from the accom- 

 panying figure ; the most striking mole-like features being 

 the elongated and depressed body passing imperceptibly 

 into the head, the absence of external ear-conchs, the 

 rudimentary pin-like eyes, the small tail, and the short 

 limbs, of which the front pair are armed with claws of 



