21 



Preliminary Notes on a Ne^w Australian 

 Mammal. 



By E. C. Stirling, M.A., M.D., Lecturer on Physiology in the 

 Adelaide University. 



[Read September 4, 1 888.] 



A few days ago, through the kindness of Mr. A. Molineux, of 

 Adelaide, a small mole-like animal, which appears to be new to 

 science, was forwarded to the South Australian Museum. It was 

 found on the Idracowie Cattle Station at a distance, I understand, 

 of about 100 miles from the Charlotte Waters Telegraph Station, 

 on the overland line from Adelaide to Port Darwin, but the exact 

 circumstances of its capture are not yet to hand. The collector, 

 however, reports that it must be of rare occurrence, as on ques- 

 tioning the aboriginals of the locality, there was only one old 

 woman who said she had seen it before, and that upon a single 

 occasion. It is evidently an underground burrowing animal, re- 

 sembling somewhat the Cape Mole (Chrysochloris) in its general 

 external appearance, but differing in many respects. The total 

 length is 13 cm., inclusive of the tail, which is two cm. long. The 

 head, relatively shorter than Chrysochloris, has a rounded muzzle, 

 the dorsal surface of which is covered by a horny shield. Nostrils 

 transversely slit-like. No eyes visible, the skin passing uninter- 

 ruptedly over the ocular region, but on reflecting the skin in one 

 side of the face a small circular pigment spot is visible on the 

 position of the eye. No apparent bony orbit. Tongue fleshy, 

 broad at the base and tapering to a blunt point. No external 

 ears, but the ear-openings distinct, one mm. wide, and covered 

 over with fur. The fore limbs are short, resembling somewhat 

 those of a mole, but the manus is folded, so that the large nails of 

 the fourth and fifth digits only are visible in the natural position 

 of the limbs. Of these nails, the fourth is 15 mm. long, and of a 

 uniform width of four mm., ending very bluntly ; the fifth is very 

 slightly shorter than the fourth, broad at the base (eight mm.), 

 tapering rapidly to a blunt point, the two together forming an 

 outline rather like that of a goose-mussel (Lepas). The nails of 

 the third, second and first digits, very much smaller, form a 

 series gradually diminishing in size in the order named, and con- 

 stitute a second row on the inside of the fourth and fifth, by 

 which, as stated, they are completely concealed from view. What 



