30 Prof. F. M‘Coy on Phascolomys setosus and P. niger. 
-TI.— Note on the Phascolomys setosus (Gray) and P. niger 
(Gould). By Prof. M‘Coy. 
THE interesting paper on the species of Phascolomys by Dr. Murie 
in the ‘ Zoological Proceedings’ for December 1865 leaves the 
Phascolomys setosus (Gray) in doubt as a probaly variety of the 
common brown P. platyrhinus. I have lately obtained a good 
skin, from South Australia, agreeing with the original external 
characters of Dr. Gray’s P. setosus, and I am glad to find that an 
examination of the skull shows it to be a well-marked and distinct 
species. I subjoin an ac- 
curate outline (natural 
size) of the nasal bones, 
which may be compared ~ 
with the figures of the 
three other species in Dr. 
Murie’s paper. It will be 
seen that, in the great 
width and flatness of the 
posterior margin of the 
nasals, the P. setosus ap- 
proaches the P. latifrons, 
being intermediate be- 
tween it and the common 
P. platyrhinus, but differ- 
ing from both in the broad 
double curve of each side 
forming a salient angle a : 
little in front of the mid- Outline (nat: size) of the nasal bones 
dle of each side. of P. setosus (Gray). 
_ Lalso procured lately an adult male and female and young 
of the P. niger of Gould from Yea, in this colony. The Amale 
and young were quite black; and the skulls of each of them 
‘showed a small semicircular lobe projecting outwards from 
about the anterior third of each outer margin of the nasal 
bones (not to be confounded with the more posterior wide an- 
gulation produced by the double concave curvature of the outer 
margins of P. setosus); so that, taken with the difference of 
colour, I at first thought it possible the species might be really 
distinct from the P. platyrhinus. But on carefully comparing 
all the bones of the skeleton, I could find no other difference ; 
and on getting the skeleton of the male specimen prepared, I 
found that its skull agreed with the ordinary type of the P. 
latyrhinus in its nasal bones, although the individual was the 
mate of the female referred to. ‘The colour was not so perfect 
a black as in the female and young, but had a brownish tinge ; 
