6. PETATJEirS. 157 



Palate complete. Bullae large, their anterior portion projecting 

 markedly downwards; tieir total length antero-posteriorly about 

 8 millim. ; much smaller in var. papuanus. 



Teeth (PI. XVI. fig. 10). Upper i.' considerably larger than the 

 canine. Diastema between i.^ and canine sufficiently long to be 

 visible to the extent of nearly a millimetre when the skuU is looked 

 at directly from the side. Premolars and molars as usual ; com- 

 bined length of the three upper anterior molars from 5-5 to 6-2, of 

 the lower molar series about 7 millim. 



Dimensions. 



m (in spirit). 

 Adult. 

 miEim. 



Head and body , 172 



Tail 190 



, Lower leg 55 



Hind foot 29 



Ear 28 



Skull, see p. 162. 



Hah. Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. (Introduced 

 into Tasmania in 1835 *.) 



Tyfe in collection. 



This species, at least in its typical continental form, resembles 

 P. sciureus so closely in every way that it can often only be distin- 

 guished with certainty by the considerably smaller size of its molar 

 teeth. The Papuan form, however, is apparently different, and 

 would be specifically separable were it not that the two seem t6 

 grade into each other, to a degree very remarkable considering the 

 differences between typical specimens of the two. The Japuan 

 variety has always hitherto been referred to under the name of 

 P. ariel, Gould ; but the types of the latter, from Port Essington, 

 undoubtedly belong to the present race, the northern one therefore 

 now needing a new varietal name. 



I J Ad. sks. I Q Port Essington, Nor- Gould Collection. 

 ">"■ 1 SkuU of a. j +■ thern Territory. 



{Co-types of P. ariel, Gould.) 



Ad. sk. I o -iniAA Port Essington (j; Mac- Earl of Derby [P.]. 

 , Skulls. ( ¥>i^/4*- Qilliway). 



J 1 Ad. sk. I o Port Essington. Capt. W. Chambers 



^- 1 Skull, f ?• [P.l. 



e. Ad. st. N.W. coast of Aus- Zool. Soe. 

 tralia. 



* See Gunn {1. c), by whom this spfecies was caEed P. sciureus ; but his determi- 

 nation was evidently incorrect, as is shown by specimen m, collected in Tasmania 

 by himself. 



