686 MAMMALIA. 



Family, Didelphyidse : American opossums, distributed from the 

 United States to Patagonia, arboreal in habit, usually carnivorous 

 or insectivorous in diet. The limbs have five digits with claws, 

 the hallux is opposable. The tail is generally long and often 

 prehensile. The stomach is simple, the caecum small. The 

 pouch is generally absent, but the young are often carried on 

 the back of the mother, their tails coiled round hers. Dentition, 

 5134 



4 J 34 



Examples : The Virginian or crab-eating opossum (Didelphys 

 marsupialis}) with a pouch ; the woolly opossum (D. lanigera}; 

 the aquatic Yapock (Chironectes] which feeds on fish and 

 smaller water animals. 



Family Dasyuridse : Carnivorous or insectivorous Marsupials. The 



limbs have clawed digits, five in front, four or five behind. The 



canines are generally large. The stomach is simple, there is no 



csecum. 



Examples : The Tasmanian wolf (Thylacinus], of dog-like form, 



4134 

 dentition, > and the Dasyure {Dasyurus}, civet-like, den- 



3 J 34 

 4124 



tition, ; are specialised as carnivores. The members of the 



3^24 



genus Phascogale are small and insectivorous. The banded 

 ant eater (Myrmecobius] of W. and S. Australia, a somewhat 

 squirrel-like animal, has a long thread-like protrusible tongue 



4135 or 6 

 and more teeth than any other Marsupial 



3135 or 6 



Family Peramelidse : The burrowing bandicoots, all small in size, 

 insectivorous or omnivorous in diet. In the fore feet, two or 

 three of the middle toes are well developed and clawed, the 

 others being rudimentary ; in the hind feet, the hallux is small 

 or absent, the second and third toes are very slender and united 

 in the same fold of skin, the fourth toe is very large, the fifth 

 smaller, the whole foot suggesting that of the kangaroo. The 

 stomach is simple, the csecum not large. Clavicles are absent. 



4 or 5 134 



Dentition, 

 3 J 34 



Examples : The true bandicoot (Perameles} ; the native rabbit 

 (Peragale lagotis] ; the rat-like Chceropus. 



B. DIPROTODONTIA. " Incisors usually - ; the first large and 



i 



cutting ; the upper canines generally, the lower canines always 

 small or absent ; the molars with bluntly tuberculated or trans- 

 versely ridged crowns." 



Family Phascolomyidce : The Wombats, terrestrial, vegetarian, 

 nocturnal Marsupials, somewhat bear-like in appearance. The 

 1014 



dentition is rodent-like, , the teeth have persistent pulps, the 



1014 

 incisors are chisel-edged, there being no enamel except in front. 



