ZOOLOGICAL 



25 



all but three of which are confined to Australia and Tasmania. The best- 

 known species is the Great Grey Kangaroo (M. giganteus) ranging widely over 

 the continent, and called also by the colonists the "boomer," "old man," 

 and "forester." The genus Dorcopsis, containing six species, is confined to 

 New Guinea, while the Tree- Kangaroos (Dendrolagus), which are remarkable 

 for being chiefly arboreal in their habits, are represented by five species in 

 New Guinea and two in North Australia. 



Thirty fossil species of Kangaroo are known, all from the Pleistocene 

 deposits of Australia. 



PHALANGERID.E (Phalangers ; 45 Species). Plate 9, Map v. 



The Phalangers are entirely natives of the Australian region. The 

 typical genus Phalanger contains thirteen species found principally in 

 the Papuan Islands and North Australia. These animals are popularly 

 known as Cuscuses, and the genus contains the most easterly representa- 

 tive of the family, namely the species found in the Solomon Islands. 

 A few members of this family are able to perform flying leaps by means 

 of a membrane stretched between their fore and hind limbs, and hence 

 are known as Flying Phalangers. The Great Plying Phalanger (Petau- 

 roides volans) is the largest of these, and occurs only from Queensland 

 to Victoria. The true Flying Phalangers (Petaurus) are three in number, 

 two of which are confined to Australia, and the third common to 

 Australia and New Guinea. The beautiful little Shrew-like animal 

 known as the Long-snouted Phalanger (Tarsipes spencer se) is confined 

 to West Australia. Lastly, the curious-looking Koala or Native Bear 

 (Phascolarctos cinereus) must be mentioned. This species, the only repre- 

 sentative of its genus, is confined to Eastern Australia, ranging from Queens- 

 land to Victoria. It is a herbivorous creature, mainly arboreal in its habits, 

 and differing from all other members of the family by being destitute of a 

 tail. 



Seven extinct species of Phalangeridse have been described, all from the 

 Pleistocene of Australia. 



PHASCOLOMYID.E (Wombats; 4 Species). Plate 9, Map vi. 



At the present day this family is only represented by four species, viz., 

 the Tasmanian Wombat (Phascolomys ursinus), confined to the island 

 indicated by its name ; the Common Wombat (P. mitchelli) occurring in New 

 South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia; the Hairy-nosed Wombat 

 (P. latifrons) found only in South Australia; and a recently described 

 species from Queensland . These creatures are herbivorous and exclusively 

 nocturnal. 



Eight fossil species are known, all from the Pleistocene of Australia. 



C^ENOLESTIDJE (Selvas; 1 Genus, 2 Species). Plate 9, 

 Map viii. 



This family was constituted in 1895 for the reception of two small Rat- 

 like animals found respectively in Ecuador and Bogota. Their nearest 

 relatives appear to be the members of the Epanorthidse, all of which are 

 extinct, and whose remains occur principally in the Eocene beds of 

 Patagonia. 



PERAMELID-S: (Bandicoots; 20 Species). Plate 9, Map vii. 



Bandicoots are confined to Australia, Tasmania and the Papuan Islands. 

 They are small animals, the largest being about the size of a Babbit, possessing 

 fossorial habits and feeding either entirely on insects or preferring a mixed 

 diet. The typical genus Perameles, containing the true Bandicoots, is 

 represented by eight species confined to Australia and Tasmania, and seven 

 in New Guinea and the neighbouring islands. The Babbit-Bandicoots 

 (Peragale or Thylacomys) are four in number, and are confined to Australia, 

 while the single species of the genus Chceropus is found only in South- 

 eastern Australia. No fossil remains have yet been found which can be 

 referred to this family. 



DASYURID-ffi (Thylacine and Dasyures ; 42 Species). 



Map viii. 



Plate 9, 



This family is represented by 23 species in Australia and Tasmania, and 

 19 in New Guinea and the adjacent islands. The largest of these, and indeed 

 of all the carnivorous Marsupials, is that known as the Tasmanian Wolf or 

 Thylacine (TJiylacinus cynocephalus). This animal is confined to Tasmania, 

 as is also that known as the Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus satanicus). The 

 typical genus Dasyurus contains seven species known as Dasyures, or 

 Native Cats, four of which are found in Australia and Tasmania and three 

 in New Guinea. 



Seven extinct species are known, of which two belong to the genus 

 Thylacinus and one to Sarcophilus. 



NOTORYCTID^I (The Pouched or Marsupial Mole; 1 Species). 

 Plate 9, Map vii. 



In the year 1891 a curious creature resembling the Mole, both in 

 appearance and habits, was described as the type of a distinct family. This 

 interesting Marsupial appears to be restricted to the deserts of northern South 

 Australia where it perpetually burrows in the sand by means of its powerful 

 and peculiarly constructed limbs. It has been named Notoryctes typhlops. 



DIDELPHIDuE (Opossums ; 64 Species). Plate 9, Map viii. 



With the exception of the two little-known members of the family 

 Csenolestidse, the Opossums are the sole existing representatives of the 



Marsupialia in the New World. They are especially characteristic of 

 Central and South America, only two species (with several races) being 

 found in North America, where they range over the Eastern and Southern 

 United States. Only three genera are recognised in this family, and all 

 but two of the species belong to the typical genus Didelphys. The members 

 of this genus, the true Opossums, range from the United States through 

 Central and South America to the Argentine Bepublic. They occur in 

 Trinidad, Dominica, Grenada and St Vincent, but are absent from the 

 remaining West Indies. The true Opossums are arboreal creatures with an 

 insectivorous or omnivorous diet. The Water-Opossum (Chironectes 

 minimus), ranging from Guatemala to Southern Brazil, is worthy of special 

 mention, owing to its aquatic habits, for which it is specially adapted by 

 having the hind toes webbed. 



In this family 38 extinct species are known. These are from the 

 Tertiary deposits of Europe, North America, and the Argentine Bepublic. 



ORDER M0N0TREMATA (5 Species). 



The primitive and peculiar egg-laying Mammals which form this Order 

 are limited in their distribution to the Australian region. Only two 

 families are known, namely, the Echidnidse, containing four species found only 

 in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea ; and the Ornithorhynchidse repre- 

 sented by a single species confined to Australia and Tasmania. 



ECHIDNID^! (Spiny Ant-eaters; 4 Species). Plate 9, Map ix. 



The Echidnas, or Spiny Ant-eaters, are confined to Australia, Tasmania, 

 and New Guinea. They are burrowing animals, mainly of nocturnal habits, 

 and feeding upon ants. The typical genus Echidna is represented by a 

 single species, inhabiting the whole of Australia, but also occurring as sub- 

 species or races in Tasmania and New Guinea. The Three-toed Echidnas 

 (Proechidna), of which three species are known, are confined to New Guinea.. 

 In addition to the above-mentioned existing species, remains of a fourth have 

 been unearthed from the Pleistocene deposits of New South Wales. 



ORNITHORHYNCHID^: (Duck-Bill; 1 Species). Plate 9, Map x. 



The curious animal, known as the Duck-bill (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), 

 is a creature from 18 to 20 inches in length, possessed of aquatic habits, and 

 only found in the fresh waters of Southern and Eastern Australia and 

 Tasmania. It is an extremely shy animal, living in pairs in burrows which 

 it constructs in the banks of creeks and rivers, feeding upon aquatic insects, 

 small crustaceans or worms, and the female laying a couple of eggs at a time,, 

 which in the manner of their development resemble those of Beptiles. 



From the Pleistocene deposits of Queensland the remains of a second 

 species of this remarkable genus have been obtained. 



CLASS AYES (Birds). 



ORDER PASSERIFORMES (Perching Birds ; 

 11,287 Species). 



The Passeriformes or Perching Birds are a vast group which head the 

 list in our modern classification of Birds, and which contain considerably 

 more than half the known species of the whole class. The Order contains 

 58 families, of which 13 have an almost world-wide distribution; 12 have a 

 wide range in, but are confined to, the Old World ; while in the New World 

 half-a-dozen are common to the Nearctic and Neotropical Begions. Of the 

 remaining families nine are peculiar to the Neotropical Begion, six to the 

 Australian, five to the Ethiopian, and one to the Nearctic, while three are 

 common to the Nearctic and Pala^arctic Begions, one to the Ethiopian 

 and Oriental, and two to the Oriental and Australian. They are, as a rule, 

 birds of small size, the Baven being the largest species. 



COEVIDJE (Crows, Choughs, Jays, Nutcrackers, &c. ; 330 Species). 

 Plate 10, Map i. 



This important family is of world-wide distribution, and over 40 genera 

 are recognised, which may be arranged in four sub-families, as shown on our 

 Map. The true Crows and their relatives the Bavens, Books and Jackdaws 

 constitute the typical genus Corvus, of which about 70 species have been, 

 described. The great majority of these are natives of the Northern 

 Hemisphere, while five, viz., the Jackdaw, Book, Carrion Crow, Hooded 

 Crow, and Baven, are resident species in Britain. Magpies and Jays may 

 be taken together as forming the sub-family Garrulinse. The former are 

 characteristic of the Palaearctic Begion, with one species (Pica pica) in 

 Britain, while Jays are more widely distributed, occurring in the Pala^arctic, 

 Oriental, Nearctic and Neotropical Begions. The brilliantly coloured 

 members of the genera Cyanocorax and Xanihura are the South American 

 representatives of the Jays, and are the only Corvidse in that country. 

 Choughs (Pyrrhocorax, Graculus, and Corcorax) are chiefly PalaBarctic, but 

 Corcorax is an Australian genus, with a single species found in the south- 

 eastern half of that continent. Nutcrackers (Nucijraga) are represented by 

 eight species, one of which occurs in North America west of the Bocky 

 Mountains, while the rest are purely Palsearctic, with two species separated 

 from the rest, in the Himalaya Mountains. 



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