PlIASCOLOMYDVE.- 



-MAJIMALIA.- 



-MACKOPIDiE. 



209 



observe in conclusion, that the varied members of this 

 order are for the most part met with on the great 

 Australian continent and its adjacent islands. Some 

 few inhabit tlie warmer regions of America, and, what 

 is still more interesting, fossil remains of others have 

 been found m Europe, in the tertiary g>iisum beds of 

 Paris, and hi the Stonesfield slate of the gi-eat oolite 

 formation in England. 



Family I.— PIIASCOLOMYDiE. 



This family is probably represented by a single living 

 species only, but the fossil genus, Diprotodon, estab- 

 lished by Professor Owen, is also included in it, or in 

 his rhizophagous tiibe of marsupials, which is tlie same 

 thing. This small group is characterized by the posses- 

 sion of two incisor teeth in either jaw, above and below ; 

 there are no canines, and a large interspace separates the 

 incisives from the molars, which are twenty in number, 

 the anterior four being spurious ; they have indistinct 

 roots and flattened crowns. All tlie feet are penta- 

 dactylous, but the thumb of tlie hmd feet is rudimen- 

 tary and clawless. The tail is extremely short. The 

 stomach is provided with a special gland ; the coecum 

 being small, broad, and furnished with a vermiform 

 appendage. 



THE WOMBAT [Phascohmys Wonthat)—V\s\.iQ 28, 



fig. 93 — is a short thick-set animal, from two to three 



feet in length, and weighing about tliirty pomids. 



The head is large, and furnished with small ears, the 



tail measuring only half an inch. In the skeleton, 



however— if three of the outer-iliac vertebral segments 



be reckoned as belonging to the category of sacral 



elements — there are no less than thirteen or fourteen 



caudal vertebroe. Anotlier peculiarity in the skeleton 



arises out of the presence of fifteen or sixteen pairs of 



ribs — a number considerably exceeding that of other 



marsupials. The fur is thick, and of a sandy brown 



colour below and at the sides, being darker along the 



line of the back. The eyes are small, and not at all 



prominent. One of the best accounts of the Wombat's 



habits is tliat furnished by Colonel Collins at the early 



part of the present century. " This animal," he 



says, possesses no claim to swiftness, as most 



men could nm it down. Its pace is hobbling or 



shuffling, something like tlie awkward gait of a 



bear. In disposition it is mild and gentle, as 



becomes a grass-eater ; but it bites hard and is 



furious when provoked." His friend, Mr. Bass, 



he adds, " never heard its voice but at tliat time. 



It was a low cry between a hissing and a whizzing, 



which could not be heard at a distance of more than 



tliirty or forty yards. He chased one, and with his hands 



suddenly lifted it off the ground wMiout hiuling it, and 



laid it upon its back along his arm like a child. It 



made no noise nor any elTort to escape, not even a 



struggle." Subsequently, however, the httle animal 



shrieked and made its escape, whilst Mr. Bass was 



preparing to tie it up. Colonel Collins further on 



observes, that besides living in Funieaux's island, the 



Wombat inhabits the hills to the west of Port-Jackson. 



" In both these places its habitation is underground. 



Vol. I. 



tlie animal being admirably formed for burrowing; but 

 to what depth it descends does not seem to bo ascer- 

 tained. According to the account given of it by the 

 natives, the Wombat of the mountains is never sieen 

 during the day, but lives retired in its hole, feeduig 

 only m tlie night ; that inliabiting tlie islands is seen 

 to feed aU times of the day." Its food consists chiefly 

 of coarse grass and roots. The flesh is said to be 

 delicate and excellent eating. The female produces 

 three or four young at a single birtli. 



From the examination of a skuU brought from South 

 Australia, Prolessor Owen has expressed his belief in 

 the existence of a second species of Wombat, which ho 

 has prov-isionally named Phascolomys latifrons. The 

 fossil genus Diproludoii attained gigantic proportions, 

 being nearly as large as the hippopotamus. 



Family II.— MACROPID.E. 



The Kangaroos are readily distinguished by the dis- 

 proportionate bulk of the hinder parts of the body as 

 compared with those in front, tliis feature being more 

 particularly noticeable in the development of the tail 

 and hinder extremities. The feet are greatly elongated 

 by an extension of the metatarsal bones and digital 

 plialanges, their soles being applied to the ground 

 during progression. The powerful tail acts as a fifth 

 limb during the slower movements of the body, and 

 forms, hi conjunction with the hind legs, a firm tripodal 

 basis of support during the state of rest. The fore 

 limbs are short, pentadactylous, attenuated, and fur- 

 nished with compressed curved claws, the nails of the 

 hind feet being straight and tetradactylous. Speaking 

 generally, tlie body presents a conical outline, taperuig 

 from below upwards. The ears are largely developed 

 and oval in shape ; but a more important character is 



Fig. So. 



Skull of the Great Kangaroo (Macropus giganteufi)- 



seen in the teeth— (fig. 85.) According to Professor 

 Owen, there are in the normal condition of the perma- 

 nent dental series six superior and two inferior incisors, 

 no canines, four premolars equally divided above and 

 below, and sixteen true molars, that is, four cm eiUier 

 side of the upper and lower jaws. In the genus of 

 Kangaroo Kats or Potoroos {Hypsipryviniis) cauhies 

 are present ui the upper jaw. In the true Kangaroos 

 the central incisors of the upper are not longer thau 



2D 



