192 



('OMPENDIUM OF (iEOCiKAl'IIY AND TKAVEL 



because the island is evidently the centre from which 

 most of the animals of the suiTOunding islands and many 

 of those of North Australia have Ijeen derived. 



Mammalia are very scarce. The largest and almost 

 the only placental mammal is the wild pig, of a peculiar 

 species ; and there are also a few peculiar mice. All the 

 rest are marsupials, the most remarkal)le being the small 

 tree kangaroos fcjrming the genus Dcndrolafpis, while some 

 of those which are terrestrial are yet more allied to the 



srixY AXT-EATER {Pfoediidna). 



last than to the Australian kangaroos. Seven other 

 genera of marsupials belonging to the families Dasyuridw, 

 Peramelidce, and Phcdangistidce inhabit New Guinea, and 

 of these, four do not inhabit Australia and one more is 

 only found in the adjacent northern territory. The 

 Monotremata are represented l)y spiny ant-eaters 

 (Froechidna) of two species, allied to the echidna of 

 Australia. 



In birds the richness is as conspicuous as is the 

 poverty in mammals. Already more tlian 400 species 



