172 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



tures, it retains a very full set of teeth, numbering from fifty to fifty- 

 four ; all, however, are very small, and set apart from each other, 

 except the last four lower grinders. These teeth are remarkably like 

 those of some of the earliest fossil beasts known, so that this little 

 insignificant creature is perhaps the oldest beast now living. It is a 

 ground animal, feeding on Ants and other insects, and has no pouch ; 

 the young, however, hang on to the mother's nipples as in other 

 Marsupials, and are concealed by her long fur. 



THE BANDICOOTS 



THE name Bandicoot properly applies to a large Indian species of Rat 

 (Nesokia bandicotd), but it has been transferred to a curious family 

 of Marsupials (Peramelidce], which agree with the Kangaroos in the 

 structure of the hind-feet, having the second and third toes thin and 

 united, and the fourth very large and strongly clawed ; the fifth is of 

 fair size, but the first rudimentary. In their teeth, however, the Bandi- 

 coots show undoubted resemblance to the carnivorous Marsupials of 

 the last family, the canines being well developed and the lower in- 

 cisors six in number. In spite of the Kangaroo-like structure of the 

 hind-foot, this member is not prolonged, and the general form of the 

 creature is like that of a large, long-snouted, short-tailed Rat, and they 

 resemble Rats in their movements. The fore-feet have the middle toes 

 large and strongly clawed, and the outside ones rudimentary ; the foot 

 is, in fact, adapted for digging, and the animals are ground-livers and 

 feed largely on roots, though they also freely partake of such animal 

 food as they can get, in the shape of insects, &c. ; they are, in fact, 

 omnivorous. There are a good many species, found not only in 

 Australia, but in the islands adjacent. Two Australian Bandicoots 

 differ so much from the ordinary kinds, however, as to demand special 

 notice ; these are the Rabbit Bandicoot (Peragale lagotis), which has 

 Rabbit-like ears and a fully-haired tail, and is bigger than the others, 

 being as large as a real Wild Rabbit ; and the very remarkable Pig- 

 footed Bandicoot (Chczroptis castanotis\ which is hardly as large as a 

 Rat, with long ears and most peculiar feet. The limbs are long and 

 slender, and there are only two toes in the fore-foot, with small claws ; 

 while on the hind-foot all the toes are exceedingly small and useless 

 except the fourth, which is large, with a short claw ; ,the creature is thus 

 almost in the position of a hoofed animal, and it goes about on tip- 

 toe in a very similar way. 



