171 



DESCEIPTIONS OF HITHEETO UNDESCEIBED 

 ANTECHINI AND MUEID^ INHABITING TAS- 

 MANIA. 



By Edmund Thomas Higgins, M.E.CS. Eng.,and William 

 Eeedeeick Petterd, C.M.Z.S. 



[Read 9th October, 1882.] 



When tlie late Mr. Eonald G-unn's pajDer on the Mammalia 

 of this Island was published, some 30 years since, in the 

 Transactions of the Eojal Society of Tasmania, only three 

 species of Antechinus, and three of Mus, were recorded as 

 haviDg been found in Tasmania. 



The descriptions of the Muridse are excessively short, 

 but sufficient for the recognition of the species. Since then 

 nothing has been done on the subject, until Mr. Thomas' 

 paper describing two new Muridae. One belonging to a new 

 genus, Mastacomys, appeared in the June number for this 

 year of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. Know- 

 ing from observation that other species inhabiting this 

 Island were still undescribed, we have for some time past 

 been engaged in procuring all the small mammals we could ; 

 and have the honour of laying before the Eoyal Society our 

 first paper containing descriptions of three new Antechini 

 and four Muridse^ and hope shortly to supplement it. From 

 the dense damp nature of the scrubs, and the peculiar hilly 

 conformation of the country, almost every district is likely 

 to produce distinct species. Being anxious to make our 

 work as complete as possible, we are desirous of obtaining 

 specimens from every part of the Island, and shall therefore 

 take it as a special favour if the members of the Society will 

 use their utmost endeavours to supply us with materials for 

 this purpose. 

 Antechinus Eolandensis, ^. 



Ears very short, clothed with adpressed dark hairs ; fur 

 long and soft, reddish at the tips, bluish-grey at the base ; 

 paler on the posterior third of the body, with scattered black 

 hairs ; under surface dark ashy-grey ; head clothed with 

 short stiff hairs of a greyish-brown colour, slightly tinted 

 with fulvous brown ; two darker stripes extend from nose to 

 eye ; fore and hind feet clothed with short adpressed hairs of 

 a yellow tint ; under sides of feet thickly tuberculated, the 

 tubercles transversely striated; whiskers long and black; 

 tail short, covered with short dark-brown hair above, paler 

 on the under side. 



Length from tip of nose to root of tail ... 7 J inches. 



» oftail 2f „ 



„ from nose to ear li ,, 



