272 



POUCHED MAMMALS. 



on the fur, and by the presence of an additional premolar in each jaw. thus bringing 

 up the number of cheek-teeth to seven on each side. The crowns of these teeth are 

 more minutely cusped, and the canines relatively smaller than in the dasyures. The 

 muzzle is rather long and pointed, the ears moderately rounded and nearly naked, 

 ami the feet short and broad; the hind-foot always having a distinct, although nailless, 

 first toe. The long tail is subject to considerable variation in the different species, 

 being in some cases bushy, in others furnished with a crest of hair, and in others 

 nearly naked. The pouch is rudimentary, being represented merely by a few loose 

 folds of skin. Probably these animals produce a larger number of young at a birth 

 than any other Australasian Marsupials, seeing that in some species the number of 

 teats may be as many as ten. There are altogether thirteen distinct species of the 

 genus, distributed over Australia and New Guinea, and also ranging into the Aru 

 Islands. Of these thirteen, nine are distinguished by the absence of any stripe down 

 the back.and are mainly confined to Australia. This stripe is present in the remaining 



common DisruBE (J liat. size). 



four, which are exclusively Papuan. Of the two species figured here, the yellow- 

 footed pouched-mouse (P. flavipes) is a small form, liable to considerable variation 

 in point of size and colour, and inhabiting a large portion of Australia, although 

 unknown in Tasmania. It belongs to a section of the first group, characterised by 

 the tail being evenly covered with short hair. In general appearance it is a mouse- 

 like creature, with close and rather crisp fur, of which the prevailing colour is 

 clear grey more or less suffused with yellow or rufous. The under-parts. together 

 with the feet, in the typical East Australian variety, are yellow: this colour 

 sometimes deepening to rufous and spreading over the whole body. The variety 

 inhabiting Western and Northern Australia differs in that the whole of the under- 

 parts and limbs are more or less nearly pure white instead of yellow. 



The brush-tailed phascologale (P. peniciUata) is a larger species, inhabiting 

 the whole of Australia except the extreme north, although likewise unknown in 

 Tasmania. It belongs to a section of the unstriped group, characterised by the 

 extremity of the tail being evenly tufted on all sides. It is a more stoutly-built 



