1867.] DR. J. MURIE ON PHASCOLOMYS PLATYRHINUS. 799 



latifrons, it nevertheless has sufficed, through Mr. Bartlett's skill in 

 taxidermy, for a mounted skin to be prepared. 



The skull, the skeleton, and the skin of this large Wombat, as I 

 shall hereafter point out, correspond in all essentials to what on the 

 former occasion I was led to regard as Phascolomys platijrhinus. 



But, before entering into a consideration of the differentiation pre- 

 sented in the axial and appendicular skeleton of the existing species 

 of Wombat, I deem it necessary to revert to some of my former 

 statements, and to append some fresh information concerning the 

 ostensible relation between the skins and crania of the three species. 



Exterior Aspect. 



Under the head of colour and general external appearance I shall 

 chiefly confine my remarks to those distinguishing the Platyrhine 

 from the Common Wombat ; for the Hairy-nosed or Broad-fronted 

 species (P. latifrons) is not so readily confounded with either of the 

 first-mentioned ones as those two are between themselves. 



The accompanying lithograph (PI. XXXV.) of the large specimen 

 in question from Sydney and another, smaller, browner-coloured ani- 

 mal conveys a tolerable good idea of P. platyrhitius, at least of the 

 more distinguishing features of the species. This large animal is seen 

 to possess an intermediate gradation of colour between what 1 formerly 

 termed the " pale" and "brown" varieties. Thus, while more nearly 

 approaching the colour of the " big yellow fellow " of the Austra- 

 lian natives (P. latifrons, Gould* and P. setosus, Grayf) on the 

 sides &c., it still retains upon the back a partial likeness to Dr. Gray's 

 P. angasii. 



As the illustration shows, the limbs and sides of the body in it are 

 more or less of a yellowish (isabelline) colour, which towards the back 

 assumes a darker and browner shade. The nape of the neck, as 

 formerly described in Mr. Bush's specimen of P. platyrhinus, is 

 darkest, the hairs there being more tipped with black, and, as in it 

 (which I here give as an example of the brown variety), the median 

 line of the back exhibits a continuation of the dark colour backwards 

 to the rump. 



The three varieties of P. platyrhinus respectively denominated bv 

 me the "pale," the "brown," and the "black" would seem, there- 

 fore, in this later-acquired specimen to be further proved to graduate 

 tiie one into the other — that is to say, if the living animal in tlie 

 Society's Gardens, which Mr. Gould has named P. niger, should, 

 as I suppose, turn out to be only a black variety of P. platyrhinus 

 — a fact yet to be ascertained by an examination of its skeleton. 



1 find, moreover, that in each of the three species of living Wom- 

 bat there is a certain tendency to variation in the shade of colour. As 

 regards the Platyrhine Wombat, I have already mentioned this, and 

 shall only add that there is a tiny young one in the British Museum 

 of a perfect (isabelline) yellow tint. Of the specimens of Common 



* Mammals of Australia, 18G3, vol. i. text, and plates .')7, 58. 

 t Annals anrl Magazine of Nat. Ilist. 18G3, vol. xi. p. \-u. 



