458 



MR. E. R. ALSTON ON ANTECHINOMYS. [Juiie 15, 



the tarso-metatarsus considerably exceeding the femur in length ; in 

 Phascologale and Anteehinus it is only one half, and m Podabrus about 

 two thirds as long as the femur. The phalanges of the four digits 

 are short and rather delicate. 



Muscles. 

 In its myology AnteeMnomys does not differ strikingly from its 

 allies, save that the muscles of the lumbar region are more largely 

 developed, especially the ilio-spinal, quadratus lumborum, and psoas 

 magnus. In the limbs the muscles of the lower arm and leg have 

 only a very short fleshy portion, the tendons forming considerably 

 more than half their whole length. It is this that gives the peculiar 

 bird-like look to the forearm and metatarsus of the animal, strongly 

 contrasting with the stout short limljs of Phascologale and Anteehi- 

 nus, and even with the more delicate structure of Podabrus. In the 

 hind foot the best developed muscles are the extensor communis and 

 flexor brevis digitorum ; the extensor and flexor pollicis are of course 

 absent. 



Teeth. 



In dentition I cannot find that AnteeMnomys differs in any ap- 

 preciable degree from Podabrus, or, indeed, from some species of 

 Anteehinus. The middle upper incisors are curved rather inwards 

 than forwards, and the canines are nearly equal in size to the largest 

 (third) premolars. 



Viscera. 



The tongue in AnteeMnomys is long and narrow ; the front part 

 marked with transverse furrows, corresponding to the palatal ridges. 

 It is covered with fine filiform papillae, mixed with a few fungiform ; 

 the three circumvallate pai)illae are placed in a triangle, and are large, 

 pointed, and directed backwards. In the other forms the tongue is 

 similar, but I was unable to detect the transverse furrows in the 

 specimen of Phaseologale penieillata examined. 



rig. 3. 



Stomacbs of AnteeMnomys (b) and AnfecJdmis (a). 



The stomaeh (fig. 3) is proportionally large, and is almost 

 globular in shape, with the cardiac and pyloric openings near one 

 another : the epithelial lining is smooth and uniform, with a few 

 slight longitudinal puckers. In Podabrus the stomach is of the same 

 form ; but in Phascologale and Anteehinus it is very difl^erent, being 

 transversely elongated, with a considerably produced fundus, and 

 the pyloric opening is placed at the right extremity. 



