14 VERTEBRATA OF THE LOWER MURRAY, 



liberty. I kept these animals upon lettuces, barley grass, bread, 

 and some bulbous roots, for six weeks, until the camp was broken 

 up, when they were killed for the sake of their skins. 



I think that about 8 specimens of this species were secured 

 during our stay ; several of which, proved to be females with 

 good sized young ones in the pouch, which is very deep and runs 

 upwards, not like that of a Kangaroo. All were provided with 

 8 teats, and bore 2 young ones, only one pair of teats being 

 drawn. 



I may mention here that the Chceropus drinks a good deal of 

 water, but will neither touch meat nor attack or eat mice, as the 

 other members of this family do. 



Their dung, which I often examined when oub hunting, was 

 entirely composed of grass, very dry, about the size of sheep's 

 trundles, but much longer, so that I believe, that in a state of 

 nature, they feed principally upon vegetables. They are very 

 good eating, and I am sorry to confess that my appetite more 

 than once over-ruled my love for science ; but 24 hours upon 

 "pig- face " (mesembryanthemum) will damp the ardour of any 

 naturalist. 



The young which I took from the pouch of several females, 

 never exceeded 2 in number, and were so far advanced, that I con- 

 clude that the breeding season is in May or June. It is a 

 curious fact, that the third toe in the fore feet of the Chceropus is 

 much more developed in the young than in the adult animal : in 

 fact, the former looked more like a young Perameles, than a 

 CJiceropus ; the limbs being short and strongly made the basal 

 half of the tail, which in the adult is covered with long black 

 hair, is of a dark purple colour in the nude young animal. The 

 eye of this species, which is very large and brilliant, is represented 

 much too small in Gould's figures. 



10. PERAGALEA LAGOTIS. 

 Rabbit Rat. 



Wuirrapur, (Murray natives.) 

 Jecko, (Darling tribes.) 



This beautiful animal, like many other species, has long ago 

 retreated to the north of the Murray. It is social, not gregarious, 



