6S6 MAMMALIA. 



Family, Didelphyidse : — American opossums, distributed from the 

 United States to Patagonia, arboreal in habit, usually carnivorous 

 or insectivorous in diet. The limbs have five digits with claws, 

 the hallux is opposable. The tail is generally long and often 

 prehensile. The stomach is simple, the cjecum small. The 

 pouch is generally absent, but the young are often carried on 

 the back of the mother, their tails coiled round hers. Dentition, 

 5134 



4134 ... . „. 



Examples : — The Virginian or crab-eating opossum [Didelphys 

 niai'Siipialis)^ with a pouch ; the woolly opossum {D. lanigera) ; 

 the aquatic Yapock [Chironectes) \vhich feeds on fish and 

 smaller water animals. 

 Family Dasyuridce : — Carnivorous or insectivorous ^larsupials. The 

 limbs have clawed digits, five in front, four or five behind. The 

 canines are generally large. The stomach is simple, there is no 

 coecum. 

 Examples : — The Tasmanian wolf {Thylaiimis), of dog-like form, 

 ■ti34 



dentition, , and the Dasyure [Dasyu?'its), civet-like, den- 



3134 



tition, , are specialised as carnivores. The members of the 



3124 

 genus Phascogalc are small and insectivorous. The banded 

 ant eater [Myniiecobhts) of W. and S. Australia, a somewhat 

 squirrel-like animal, has a long thread-like protrusible tongue 



4135 or 6 



and more teeth than any other Marsupial • 



3133 or 6 

 Family Peramelid^K : — The burrowing bandicoots, all small in size, 

 insectivorous or omnivorous in diet. In the fore feet, two or 

 three of the middle toes are well developed and clawed, the 

 others being rudimentary ; in the hind feet, the hallux is small 

 or absent, the second and third toes are verj- slender and united 

 in the same fold of skin, the fourth toe is \txy large, the fifth 

 smaller, — the whole foot suggesting that of the kangaroo. The 

 stomach is simple, the ccecum not large. Clavicles are absent. 



4 or 5134 



Dentition, ■ 



3 134 

 Examples : — The true bandicoot (Feyainelcs) : the native rabbit 

 (Peragale lagotis) ; the rat-like C/urivfiis. 



Vi. DlPROTODONTIA. " Incisors usually - ; the first laro-e and 



1 ° 



cutting ; the upper canines generally, the lower canines always 

 small or absent ; the molars with bluntl)- tuberculated or trans- 

 versely ridged crowns." 

 Family Phascolomyidx : — The ^^'ombats, terrestrial, vegetarian, 

 nocturn.al Marsupials, somewhat bear-like in appearance. The 

 1014 



dentition is rodent-like, , the teeth have persistent pubis the 



1014 ' 



incisors are chisel-edged, there being no enamel except in front. 



