WOMBATS OR RODENT-LIKE MARSUPIALS. 



587 



able portion of its food. Captive specimens in the 

 London Zoological Garden have been observed to 

 devour dead Sparrows and pieces of meat with 

 great pleasure, and therefore naturalists have been 

 led to believe that they noiselessly approach sleep- 

 ing birds and other small animals at night, after 

 the manner of a Loris, and kill them. In some re- 

 gions they work considerable destruction among the 

 peaches and oranges. 



The social instincts are very pronounced in the 

 Sugar Squirrel, for it is always found in the woods 

 in company with others of its species. 



THE OPOSSUM MOUSE. 



The pigmy among the Climbing Marsupials is the 

 Opossum Mouse (Acrobatcs pygmceus) , which is prop- 

 erly classified as a distinct genus. Its broad flying 

 membrane extends to the lower joints of the legs. 

 The tail, which is thickly covered with hair, is dis- 

 tichous: that is, the hair grows parted into a double 

 row. The ears are moderately large. The pretty 

 little animal has about the physical proportions of a 

 domestic Mouse, and when it sits on a branch, with 

 its elastic membrane folded against the body, it 

 might be mistaken for one of our dainty, though 

 detested, rodents. The Opossum Mouse attains a 

 length of about five and one-half inches, of which a 

 little more than half is the length of the tail. The 

 short soft fur is gray-brown 

 abo.ve, and yellowish white 

 beneath 



The Opossum Mouse is 

 indigenous to eastern Aus- 

 tralia from Queensland to 

 Victoria. Like its relatives, 

 it feeds on leaves, fruit, buds 

 and other tender parts of 

 plants; and will generally 

 devour a small insect, when 

 it happens to come across 

 one. It is scarcely inferior 

 to its relatives in liveliness 

 and activity, and few sur- 

 pass it in ability to leap or 

 fly over long distances with 

 the help of the outstretched 

 flank membrane. The little 

 creature is said to be a great 

 favorite with the natives as 

 well as with the immigrants 

 in the vicinity of Port Jack- 

 son, and is frequently kept 

 tame in a cage. It is lively 

 and good-natured, and soon 

 becomes tractable in captiv- 

 ity, but likes freedom and will escape if possible 



only on the big toes of the hind feet; the soles are 

 broad and devoid of fur. All the toes of the hind 

 feet, except the largest one on each, are partly 

 grown together. The dentition is very remarkable, 

 the broad front incisors, of which there are two in 

 each jaw, corresponding to the gnawing teeth of 

 the rodents. Besides them there are one premolar 

 and four long curved molars on each side above and 

 below. 



The Tasmanian Wombat (Phascolo- 

 mys itrsinus) reaches a length of 

 about thirty-eight inches and has 

 ears. The color is a spotted, dark, 



Description of 



the Tasmanian 



Wombat. 



short, rounded 

 grayish brown. 

 This species 



is a native of Tasmania -and the 

 islands of Bass' Strait, while the Broad-fronted Wom- 

 bat (Pkasco/omys latifrons) is indigenous to South. 

 Australia. All species live in dense woodland; they 

 dig large caverns and very deep tunnels in the 

 ground and spend the day sleeping in them. Only 

 when night has completely set in, does the Wom- 

 bat hobble out to look for food. Its diet consists- 

 chiefly of a hard, rush-like species of grass, which 

 covers vast tracts of land, and also includes various 

 kinds of herbage and roots, the latter being secured 

 by vigorous digging. 



The Wombat appears even clumsier than it really 

 is. Its movements are slow, but persistent and vig- 



THE OPOSSUM MOOSE. This small animal, about the size of a common Mouse, is a pretty little crea- 

 ture with a head much like that of a Mouse, but a long tail, bushy like a Squirrel's and a flying membrane simi- 

 lar to that of the Assapan or Taguan. {Acrobatcs fiygmceus.) 



Wombata or IRobenMifee flDaraupiate. 



THIRD FAH1LY: Phascolomyim:. 



The third family of the herbivorous Pouched Ani- 

 mals comprises the Wombats (Pliascolomyidce) and 

 introduces to us the Rodent-like Marsupials. So far 

 three species of Wombats are known, all of which 

 are very similar in form and habits. These animals 

 are of exceedingly clumsy frame, the body heavy 

 and stout, the neck thick and short, the head un- 

 couth, the tail a small, nearly bare stub; the limbs 

 are short and crooked, the feet five-toed and armed 

 with long strong, curved claws, which are lacking 



orous. It is so dull-witted and indifferent that it 

 can only be roused to action with great difficulty. It 

 pursues its way without stopping and never shrinks 

 from any obstacle, but endeavors to accomplish 

 whatever it has decided to do, in spite of all difficul- 

 ties. If it has commenced digging a burrow, a per- 

 son may fill up the excavation over and over again, 

 but the Wombat will a hundred times or more re- 

 sume its work and repair all the damage, with the 

 equanimity of a philosopher. - 



In captivity, if given proper food, the Wombat 

 enjoys good health and becomes so accustomed to 

 contact with Man that it may safely be allowed the 

 range of the house. It can be kept without diffi- 

 culty on green fodder, carrots, turnips, fruit and 

 various kinds of grain. 



