COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS. 



787 



Tail. Cylindrical, furnished with a well-marked 

 tuft at tip. 



Genus. Bett6ngia. 



Teeth. Canines placed near the incisors, the 

 space being about equal to one of the incisor teeth. 

 Foremost compressed molar furnished with many 

 vertical grooves ; true molars nearly square. 



Head. Short and broad. 



Genus. Hypsiprymnus. 



Teeth. Two middle incisors of upper jaw rather 

 long, the two lateral incisors being small in propor- 

 tion. 



Feet. Claws of fore-feet curved and compressed, 

 the three middle claws very much longer than the 

 two outer. 



Tail. Shorter than body, and slight. 



Genus. Lagorchestes. 



Teeth. Foremost upper incisor largest, and hinder 

 the smallest. Behind the incisors, a very small ca- 

 nine. The last incisor has one vertical groove. 



Genus. Phascolomys. 



I i o o i I 4 4 



Teeth. I. , C. , P. , M. = 24. 



i i o o i i 4 4 

 Molars with flat crowns. A considerable interval 

 between the incisors and the molars. 



Feet. Furnished with five toes, thumb-joint of 

 hinder-feet very short, and without a claw. The 

 remaining claws powerful, and used for digging. 

 Tail' Extremely short, only hah* an inch in length. 



Sub- fa m ily. Per a m elina. 

 Very rat-like in general aspect. 

 Teeth. Middle incisors of upper jaw not longer 

 than the others. 



Head. Elongated, the snout being sharp, long, 

 and pointed. 



Feet. Second and third toes of hinder-feet joined 

 as far as the claws Thumb-joint of hinder-feet very 

 small. 



Genus. Perameles. 



Teeth. I. 



55 



i i 



C. 



P. 



33 



44 



M. = 48. 



44 



^ 33 i x 33 . . 

 Upper and outer incisors on each side separated 



from the others. Molars squared, with tubercles on 

 the crown. 



Feet. Outer toe of fore-feet very short, and apart 

 from the others Thumb of hind-foot without a claw, 

 sometimes entirely wanting. 



Tail. Rather short. 



Genus. Choeropus. 

 Teeth. As in Perameles. 



Feet. Fore-feet with two toes, resembling those 

 of swine ; hind-feet without thumb-joint. 

 Tail. Small and slight. 



Sub-family. Dasyurina. 

 8 

 Teeth. I. -. Canines longer than incisors. 



6 



Feet. Fore-feet with five toes ; hinder-feet either 

 five or three-toed ; thumb small, and without claw ; 

 second toe separated from third. 



Tail. Covered with hair, not prehensile. 

 Genus. Paracyon (or Thylacfnus). 



Teeth. I. 



44 

 33 



C. 



i i 



P. 



33 



M. 



I I 1 1 



44 

 44 



46. 



External incisor on each side Is the strongest Ca 

 nines very long, powerful, and sharply pointed- 

 Last molars of upper jaw smaller than others; 

 molars furnished with one large pointed cusp in 

 centre, and two smaller lateral, one blunt cusp on 

 inner side of crown. 



Feet. Fore-feet with five toes, the middle being 

 slightly the longest Hinder-feet with four t 

 Claws straight, strong, and blunt. 



Tail. Moderate, thick at root, covered with short 

 hair. 



Genus. Diabolus. 



Teeth. I. 



44 



C. 



i i 



2 2 



P. 



M. 



44 



42. 



3 3 ' ' 2 2 4 4 

 Incisors arranged regularly without any interval, and 

 of same length. Canines long and powerful. Ci rind- 

 ing surface of upper molars triangular, the first hav- 

 ing four sharp cusps, the second and third five, and 

 the fourth three. All the molars of lower jaw cov- 

 ered with sharp cusps. 



Head. Short, and large in proportion. 



Feet. Thumb of hinder-feet almost wanting. 



Tail. Short. 



Genus. Dasyurus. 



Teeth. As in Diabolus, but not so strongly car- 

 nivorous. 

 Tail. Long, and heavily covered with hair. 



Genus. Pasc6gale. 



Teeth. I. 



44 



C. 



i i 



P. 



33 



44 

 M. = 46. 



44 



33 11 33 



Two middle upper incisors longer than others, and 

 separated from them by a narrow space ; they are 

 slightly curved, and projecting; the outermost in- 

 cisors are the smallest. Canines not so large as in 

 the preceding genera. The third praemolar of lower 

 jaw is smaller than the others. 



Tail. Covered with short hair, and often tufted 

 at extremity. 



Genus. Antechfnus. 



Teeth. As in Pasc6gale, except that the *wo mid- 

 dle upper incisors are not larger than the others . 



Tail. Sparsely sprinkled with very short hairs, and 

 very long. 



Teeth. I. 



Genus. Myrmec6bius. 

 3-3 



44 i i 



66 



C. 



P. 



M. 



i i 



33 6-6 



54- 



Incisors very small, pointed, and slightly compressed, 

 separated from each other by considerable intervals 

 Canines hardly longer than prae molars Molars 

 very small, and separated from each other by a slight 

 interval ; covered with sharp, conical tubercles. 



Head. Pointed, skull very small. 



Feet. Hinder-feet with four toes, the thumb being 

 wanting, the claws curved, compressed, and sharp. 



Tail. Long, and very bushy. 



Sub-family. Didelphina. 



Teeth. Incisors always . 



44 



Feet. Furnished with five toes, the thumb of the 

 hinder-foot being broad, opposable to the other toes, 

 and without a claw. 



