181 



DESCEIPTIONS OF NEW TASMANIAN ANIMALS, 



By Edmund Thos. Higgins, M.E.C.S., Eng., and Wm. E. 



Petterd, C.M.Z.S. 



[Read Sth May, 1883.] 

 PoTOROUs EuFUS — Nov. Species ^ 

 Fur very long, soft, somewhat glossy, of a, rufous brown 

 colour, base of the hairs leaden grey, annulated in the 

 middle with yellowish brown, and darker at the tips, inter- 

 spersed with long, dark, almost black hairs. Ears broad, 

 roundly pointed, clothed internally with short, rufous brown 

 hair, and externally with long dark brown hair foi'ming at 

 the margin a thick fringe. Under surface of body of a 

 yellowish rust colour, base of hairs of a pale reddish brown. 

 Fore and hind feet of a yellowish brown colour, the outer 

 side of feet darker. Tail thickly clothed with somewhat 

 short, stiff brown hairs, much darker on the upper surface, 

 especially towards the end ; the apical portion for about an 

 inch and a quarter almost white. Muffle naked, with a 

 naked, black, pear shaped space extending over the muzzle 

 for about half an inch. The specimen described is quite 

 adult ; a second specimen of a much younger animal pre- 

 sents the same characters. 



Length from tip of nose to root of tail ... 12 inches 



„ of tail 7| „ 



„ from nose to ear 3 „ 



5, from nose to eye 2^ „ 



„ of ear 1,^ ., 



Width of ear 1^ „ 



Length of fore feet and claws 1:^ „ 



„ of hind feet and claws 2^^ „ 



„ of skull 84- „ 



Width of skull l§ „ 



„ of interorbital space I^q „ 



Length of palatine bones 1/^ „ 



„ of nasal bones IjV ?> 



Width of nasal bones at the base t\ v 



of nasal bones at the apex 





Length of lower jaw h 



„ of upper true molars * ., 



The skull of adult Potorous rufus differs from that of 

 Potorous murinus, in being more slender, in having the 

 occipital crest nearly straight, the posterior orbital process 

 less prominent, supra-orbital ridge extending from posterior 

 orbital process to posterior junction of parietal bones (in 

 P. murinus the supra-orbital ridge only extends as far as the 

 anterior third of the parietal suture). In the skull narrow- 



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