25 



Art. IX.— On the Bones of a New Gigantic Marsupial 

 By Professor M'Coy. 



[Abstract, the original read 30th September, 1861.] 



The original paper delivered to the Society has been lost. 

 The paper gave a detailed description of the lower jaw, with 

 the whole of the molar and incisor teeth in place, of a new 

 species of Diprotodon, found in sinking a well near Colac, 

 and of some of the bones of the extremities, and of some 

 upper incisors, found at Back Creek, and the distal end of 

 a humerus from Mount Macedon, which the Hon. Dr. Greeves 

 had deposited, on the part of the Mechanics' Institute, in 

 the Melbourne National Museum. 



The new Victorian Diprotodon longiceps (M'Coy) is nearly 

 as large as the great D. Australia of New South Wales ; but 

 is distinguished from all known species by the greater length 

 and narrowness of all the teeth, giving a much more slender 

 elongate form to the head. The analogies of the various 

 parts exhibited were demonstrated with corresponding parts 

 of the Native Bear (Phascolarctos), and the Wombat (Phas- 

 colomys), between which the animal was shown to stand in 

 structure. It was shown that as the creature, according to 

 the indications of the fossils, was phytivorous, most probably 

 feeding on leaves of trees, and at the same time was at least 

 twelve times the linear dimensions of a Wombat (or as large 

 in the body as a Rhinoceros), it could not climb trees like 

 the Native Bear or Sloth, but probably tore down the forest 

 trees by sheer strength of limb, like the extinct Megatherium 

 of .the South American deposits of the same age, and then 

 browsed on the tender twigs and leaves. The gigantic size 

 rendered it impossible for the Diprotodon to burrow like 

 the Wombat. 



