28 MAmTAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



entire; body generally clothed with coarse 

 hair, which is sometimes very long on hinder 

 parts of back ; tail wanting, or rudimentary ; 

 limbs short, or long and fitted for running; 

 feet naked beneath; toes 4-3, 5-3, or 5-5, 

 nails strong, sometimes almost hoof-like. 

 10. FAMILY. Hares (Leporidse). Upper lip cleft ; 

 tip of muzzle clothed ; four incisors in upper 

 jaw, two small ones being hidden behind the 

 front pair, which are grooved, lower incisors 

 smooth, always white and shorter than in 

 most other rodents ; tail short and turned up 

 or not visible ; fur soft ; soles of feet hairy. 

 Dentition in. |, molars ^J or ^J. 



II. SUB-CLASS. APLACENTAL MAMMALS 



(Aplacentalia). 



I. ORDER MARSUPIALS (Marsupialia). 



Females of most of these animals provided with 

 a peculiar pouch on lower part of abdomen for the 

 reception of their young, which are brought forth 

 prematurely ; scrotum of male hangs before penis 

 both sexes have two bones (marsupial bones) at- 

 tached to pelvis anteriorly. With the exception of 

 the Wombat (Phascolomys) none have the same 

 number of incisors in both jaws. 



1. FAMILY. Opossums (Didelphidse). General 

 contour rat-like, with muzzle longer and 

 naked at tip; tail long, very scantily clothed, 

 covered by a scaly skin, prehensile ; feet with 



