PHALANGERS. 



2 53 



search of insects, worms, and tuberose roots, frequently eating the palm-berries, 

 which it holds in its fore-paws after the manner of the phalangers, sitting up on 

 its haunches, or sometimes digging the bandicoots. Seldom more than one or two 

 are found together, unless accompanied by the young." It is added that, at least 

 in some instances, there are two young at a birth ; and that the breeding-season 

 is during the rains, which last from February to May. 



EXTINCT KANGAROO-LIKE MARSUPIALS. 



In addition to those of several of the existing species of kangaroos, wallabies, 

 and rat-kangaroos, the caverns and superficial deposits of Australia contain 

 numerous remains of kangaroos, or kangaroo-like types, some of which attained 

 gigantic dimensions. 

 One of these (Mac- 

 Topiis titan) was 

 allied to the great 

 grey kangaroo, but 

 of larger size; while 

 others, as M. brehus, 

 appear to have been 

 gigantic wallabies, 

 with skulls of as 

 much as a foot in 

 length. Other species, 

 distinguished by the 

 characters of their 

 permanent premolar 

 teeth, or by the bony 

 union of the lower jaw, constitute extinct genera, which have been named 

 Sthenurus, Procoptodon, and the Palorchestes ; the skull of the single representa- 

 tive of the latter measuring upwards of 16 inches in length. 



All the above-mentioned types may be included in the Kangaroo family, but 

 there were other forms which cannot be included in any existing group. Largest 

 of these is the gigantic diprotodon, with a skull of about a yard in length, huge 

 chisel-like first upper incisor teeth, and no perforation in the side of the lower jaw. 

 This creature, which must have been fully as large as the largest rhinoceros, 

 evidently walked on all four limbs in the ordinary manner. Another allied but 

 somewhat smaller animal was the notothere, characterised by its extremely short 

 skull ; it appears to have been to some extent intermediate between the kangaroos 

 and the wombats. 



THE PHALANGES TRIBE. 

 Family PHALANGERIDJE. 



Under the general term of phalangers a name referring to the union of the 

 second and third toes of the hind-foot may be included a large number of small 



SKULL OF AN EXTINCT KANGAROO-LIKE ANIMAL (THE DIPROTODON). 



After Sir K. Owen. 



