7 52 PERAMELID^. 



legs of the Perameles or Bandicoots, cause tliem to 

 arch the back much when walking ; when they move 

 quickly their gait is half way between running and 

 jumping. In P. nasuta, obesula, and Gunnii, the tail 

 is very short and but sparingly clothed with hair, and 

 the ears are of moderate size. In P. lagotis the ears 

 are very large, like those of a Rabbit, and the tail is 

 long and furnished with long hairs especially on the 

 upper surface of the apical portion. This animal has 

 imusually long hind-legs and feet, and when standing 

 they are spread out and the fore-feet placed between 

 them, or very slightly in advance. 



The pouch in the Bandicoots opens backwards, 

 and in this respect is the reverse of ^vhat is found in 

 other Marsupalia, where the pouch opens upwards 

 or forwards. In one species of Perameles, (P. /a- 

 gotis,) however, the pouch certainly appears, from 

 the stuffed specimen in the Zoological Society's 

 Museum, to open forwards. 



Dr. Grant found only the remains of insects in the 

 intestines of a Perameles nasuta which he dissected, 

 and Professor Owen obtained the same result in the 

 dissection of P. obesula. A specimen of P. lagotis^ 

 now living at the Zoological Society's Menagerie, is 

 fed entirely on vegetable substances,* and the keeper 

 informed me that it refused meat, and would not eat 

 meal-worms when given to it at the suggestion of 

 Professor Owen. The extremely worn state of the 

 molars in a skull now before me, would appear to 



* This animal is very fond of almonds — these however re- 

 quire to be cracked. 



