30 Prof. F. M'Coy on Pliascolomys setosus and P. nigei 



III. — Note on the Phascolomys setosus ( Gray) and P. ntger 

 (Gould). By Prof. M'Coy. 



The interesting paper on the species oi Phascolomys by Dr.Murie 

 in the ' Zoological Proceedings ' for December 1865 leaves the 

 Phascolomys setosus (Gray) in doubt as a j)robable variety of the 

 common brown P. platyrhinus. I have lately obtained a good 

 skin, from South Australia, agreeing with the original external 

 characters of Dr. Gray's P. setosus, and I am glad to find that an 

 examination of the skull shows it to be a well-marked and distinct 

 species. I subjoin an ac- 



curate outline (natural 

 size) of the nasal bones, 

 which may be compared 

 with the figm-es of the 

 three other species in Dr. 

 Mm'ie's paper. It will be 

 seen that, in the great 

 width and flatness of the 

 posterior margin of the 

 nasals, the P. setosus ap- 

 proaches the P. latifwns, 

 being intermediate be- 

 tween it and the common 

 P.platyrhinus, but differ- 

 ing from both in the broad 

 double curve of each side 

 forming a salient angle a 

 little in front of the mid- Outline (nat. size) of the nasal bones 

 die of each side. o^ ^- «^^«*^« (Gray). 



I also procured lately an adult male and female and young 

 of the P. niger of Gould from Yea, in this colony. The female 

 and young were quite black ; and the skulls of each of them 

 showed a small semicircular lobe projecting outwards from 

 about tlie anterior third of each outer margin of the nasal 

 bones (not to be confounded with the more posterior wide an- 

 gulation produced by the double concave curvature of the outer 

 margins of P. setosus) ; so that, taken with the difference of 

 colour, I at first thought it possible the species might be really 

 distinct from the P. platyrhimis. But on carefully comparing 

 all the bones of the skeleton, I could find no other difference ; 

 and on getting the skeleton of the male specimen prepared, I 

 found that its skull agreed with the ordinary ty]3e of the P. 

 'platyrhinus in its nasal bones, although the individual was the 

 mate of the female referred to. The colour was not so perfect 

 a black as in the female and young, but had a brownish tinge ; 



