210 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



which are introduced from the Cape and elsewhere into gardens. It is about sixteen inches long, and 

 has a slender muzzle, moderate-sized ears, and the under parts of the body are white, the rest being 

 grey and pencilled with black and yellow, except behind, where it is blacker. There are four broadish 

 white bands on this part. 



THE BANDED PERAMELES.* 



This is a pretty little Perameles with a body about a foot in length, and a tail of about four 

 inches long. It has rather a sharp and long snout, rather large ears, which are broad at the base, and 

 long and pointed at the tip. The fur is longish and harsh, and is pencilled with black and yellow in about 

 equal proportions on the upper part of the body, there being a black ground colour on the hinder part 

 of the back. There, however, there are three broad yellow- white bands, the foremost of which crosses 

 the back. The feet and under parts are white, and the tail is of the same colour underneath, but 



BANDED PERAMELES. 



black on the top. The feet are slender, and the hind ones have a rudimentary inner toe, naked 

 beneath, in front, and at the heel. In the skeleton this inner Loe has one or two phalanges, and a 

 small tubercle without a nail is visible before the flesh is removed. It inhabits Southern Australia 

 from east to west. This kind resembles the Bandicoot of Van Diemen's Land on the other side of 

 Bass Strait, and may be considered its representative. It is smaller than the Van Diemen's Land 

 species, but its tail is longer ; moreover, the ear exceeds those of the insular forms in size. Like 

 the other Perameles, the pouch for the young opens backwards. " Though provided with strong claws 

 it rarely burrows," says Mr. Krefft, "and it is a great enemy to little Rodents. It tumbles the Mice 

 about with its fore paws, breaks their hind legs, and eats the head." 



New Guinea contains a short-legged Perameles, f which appears to be deficient in the usual 

 number of upper incisor teeth ; and another \ resembling the common Bandicoot. 



GENTJS CH(EROPUS. THE PIG-FOOTED PERAMELES. 



A very rare little, large-eared, small-legged animal was found by Sir Thomas Mitchell on the 

 banks of the River Murray, and its appearance was so remarkable that much attention was paid to its 



Peraineles fasciala. 



t Perameles doreyanus. 



Chceropus castanotisxolpos, a hog ; and TTOI/'S, a foot. 



Perameles moresbyensis (Rams. ). 



