850 DR. J.MURIE ON THE SPECIFS OF PHASCOLOMYS. [Dec. 12, 
form of the incisors, in the breadth of the postorbital processes, in 
the shape of the zygomatic arches, in having a shallow and not 
the enormous excavation of the tympanic cavity, and in the re- 
lative length to the breadth of the entire cranium. 
As compared with P. wombat, it more nearly corresponds to 
that type, but already, in this young stage, has the posterior 
palatine foramina larger than in P. wombat, thus agreeing with 
P, platyrhinus. The nasal bones also assimilate with P. platyrhinus 
in their greater relative breadth; the tympanic cavities are larger 
than what might be expected in the young of P. wombat, although 
not equal to P. latifrons ; and the upper incisor teeth are set slant- 
ingly together and are deeply longitudinally striated, as in P. pla- 
tyrhinus. From all these characters one would infer it to be the 
cranium of a young P. platyrhinus, and not either that of P. lati- 
Srons or P. wombat. 
The skin of this specimen assists us in determining the species. 
The body and legs are of a yellowish-brown colour, considerably 
darker, even to blackish brown, upon the neck and back ; the fore 
feet are brown; the head, under surface of neck, whole of abdomen, 
and inner surface of legs are light sandy-buff (isabelline colour). 
The ears are large and prominent and somewhat pointed, clothed 
posteriorly with hair the same colour as that of the back of the 
neck, apparently also hairy inside; but this must be expressed with 
a doubt, from their abraded condition. 
The eyebrows and chieek-whiskers are black. There is no white 
hairy muffle as in P. latifrons (P. lasiorhinus). 
The outward characters, therefore, clearly define it from P. wom- 
bat, even if we are dubious by reason of the age of the animal; 
for in P, wombat, at a similar early period, the colour is not differ- 
ent from that of the adult. Dr. Gray * has remarked that “the 
young Tasmanian Wombat (P. ursinus) is dark like the adult,” 
and this fact is proved by specimens at present displayed in the 
British Museum. 
The absence of the white hairy muffle, coarser nature of the hair, 
and the colour prevent one classing it with the P. latifrons; 
so that it must either be the young of Gould’s large species or 
of Dr. Gray’s P. angasii; for it combines the colour of both, and 
leads to the supposition that these two may be but varieties of the 
same species. 
As I have tried to show that the brown species, P. angasii, com- 
ports with Owen’s P. platyrhinus, and also that this young skull like- 
wise agrees more closely with P. platyrhinus than P. wombat, there 
remains to be said that, if I have given sufficiently convincing data, 
it will be allowed the several species of the authors named must be 
grouped, at least provisionally, or until better evidence is produced 
to the contrary, under the head of P. plotyrhinus, Owen; for, ac- 
cording to the law of priority, this specific name is that which ought 
to be adopted, 
I have, in this place, a further remark to make regarding the 
* Annals and Mag, Nat. History, 1863, vol. xi. p. 459. 
