TRANSACTIONS OP THE SECTIONS. 69 



determination of the localities of the Australian animals, for almost all the specimens 

 are marked as coming from New Holland. This is not only the case with the speci- 

 mens contained in the museums, but also with respect to the observations of some recent 

 voyagers. Having recently received at the British Museum a complete series of all 

 the Mammalia collected by Mr. Gould duraig his visit to Australia, and of tliose sent 

 from his collector, Mr. Gilbert, from Western Australia, all tlie specimens of which 

 were marked at the time they were collected, I have been induced to draw up a few 

 remarks on the geographical distribution of these animals. From these materials, and 

 others at my command, I believe there are at present known ninety species of Mam- 

 maha found in Australia, belonging to thirty-six genera: of these, seventy-seven spe- 

 cies, belonging to twenty-one genera, are marsupial, three species and two genera are 

 monotrematous, and twenty-three species and twelve genera are non-marsupial ; eight 

 of these twenty-three species and four genera are Bats belonging to the order Pri- 

 mates ; two species belonging to two genera of Feres or carnivorous beasts, as the Dog 

 and the Seal ; and the remaining eleven species, referable to four genera, are Mice be- 

 longing to the Glires, and two to CetcB, or Whales. Of these thirty-three genera found in 

 Australia, seven, as ChcBropus,Acrohates,Petanrista, Lagochestes, Phascolarctos, Pseu- 

 domys, and Harpalotis, are peculiar to New South Wales. Petaurus might be placed 

 in the same group ; but a single species is also found in Norfolk Island, where it is 

 the only known beast. It is by some supposed to have been introduced from Sidney, 

 especially as it is not found in Van Diemen's Land. The genera Betloiiyia and Pe- 

 trogale are only found in New South Wales, South Australia, and the north coast ; and 

 the genus MyriHecobius is peculiar to Western Australia ; so that these ten genera are 

 pecuHar to the Australian continent. The genera Thylacinus, Diabolus, and Dromicea 

 are peculiar to Van Diemen's Land. The genera, Dasyurus wadi Perameles are com- 

 mon to Van Diemen's Land and the continent, but much more abundant in the former. 

 The genera Nyctophilus, Phalangista, Phascogale, Hepoona, Macropus, Habnaturus, 

 Hypsiprymniis, and Hydromys, appear to be common to the continent of Australia 

 and Van Diemen's Land, as also appears to be the case with the genera Echidna and 

 Ornithorhynchus; hut the tv!0 latter genera have not yet been discovered in South' 

 Austraha. There are some species found in Australia which belong to genera, as 

 Pteropus and Rhinoloplnis, which are found in different parts of the Old World ; and 

 others, as Canis, Mas, Scotojjhilus, and Alolossits, which are common to it and both 

 hemispheres. One genus, Halinaturus, has a species found in New Guinea ; but most 

 probably, when this species has been more carefully examined, it will be-found to form 

 a peculiar genus allied to the Australian one, as is the case with the tree Kangaroos 

 (Dcndrolagus) and the Phalangers ( Cuscits) of that country ; and is also probably the 

 case with the Perameles, said to be found in New Guinea. If we examine the dis- 

 tribution of these ninety-seven species over the diff'erent parts of the country, we shall 

 find that sixty species inhabit New South Wales, of which forty-five are peculiar to 

 it, and fifteen common to it and other parts of the country. Eighteen species inhabit 

 South Australia; six are peculiar, and twelve common to other parts. Twenty species 

 inhabit Western Australia ; twelve peculiar, and eight connnon. Six species inhabit 

 the north-west coast, all of which are peculiar to it. Three species inhabit the north 

 coast, two of which have not been found elsewhere. Twenty-two species are found in 

 Van Diemen's Land; eleven only are found in this country, and eleven common to 

 it and the continent. One species is found in Norfolk Island, which is also found in 

 New South Wales, but not in Van Diemen's Land. The species peculiar to the north- 

 west coast are Macropus unguifer, Habnaturus Bennetlii, H. fasciatus, Petrogalea 

 brachyota, Hyp. Lesuerii; to South Australia, Phascogalea riifoyaster, Macropus fu- 

 Uginosus, Halmalurus Dcrhianus, Bettongia Grayii, Mus Grayil, and M. Adehiidensis ; 

 to Western AustrdVia, Myrmecobius fasciatus, Phascogalea leucogaster, Perameles fus- 

 coventer, P. obesula and P. Lagotis, Habnaturus brevicaudatus, Petrogalea lateralis, 

 Hypsiprymnus Gilbertii, Bettongia Ogilbii. Macropus laniger and Mus lutreola are 

 peculiar, as being common to the east and south sides of the continent. Scotophilus 

 Australis, Hydromys chrysogaster, Phalangistcr Vulpina, and Hepoona Cookii, have 

 the largest range, as they are common to the south, west, and east sides of the conti- 

 nent; and the two latter are also found in Van Diemen's Land*." 



* Mr. Gray has given a more detailed paper on this subject in the Appendix to Capt, G. 

 Grey's Journal of two Expeditions of Discovery in Australia, 1841. 



