DR. F. A. JENTINK. MAMMALS. l8l 



Phascogale Nouhuysii Jentink. 



N°. 321. Young adult 9- Bivak IV 1 ) (± 1050 M.), October 12. 1909 (skin and skeleton). 

 Described in „Notes from the Leyden Muséum" 1911, p. 235. This animal is smaller 

 than Lorentzii; it has the hairs very soft, short and adpressed like in mêlas and other species. 

 Upperparts black, contrasting with the lovely coloured underparts ; however there are among 

 the black back-hairs several showing a tendency to a more brightly colouring as thèse hairs 

 are ringed with reddish brown, like ail the hairs of the upperparts of head, sides of the body, 

 upperparts of extremities and anal underparts of tail. Underparts of a beautiful golden red, 

 each hair being basally mouse-coloured. Ears inside as well as outside black haired, like 

 hands and feet and tail, the tip of the latter however is pure white for about half an inch. 

 Claws longer and stronger than in other Phascogale-species, although much shorter than in 

 Lorentzii. 



mm. mm. 



head and body 195 skull: basai lenght 42.5 



tail 170 greatest breadth 24.5 



hindfoot with claw 33 palatal length 25.5 



length of molars 1 — 3 ... 8 



Notwithstanding Lorentzii is a larger animal than Nouhuysii with a larger skull, in the 

 latter however the skull is broader, the molars are stouter built, and the upper as well as the 

 lower canines are much stronger and a good deal larger; but in Lorentzii the auditory bullae 

 are more inflated, while the skull as a whole makes the impression of being much more 

 slender. A careful comparison learns that there are a lot of other différences, very difficult 

 to describe, between thèse two skulls ; but attention must be paid to the following peculiarities : 

 in Lorentzii the upper incisors are much more crowded than in Nouhuysii, so that indeed 

 the anterior incisor is separated by a small interval from the second one. In both species 

 the second upper premolar is the largest, then the anterior ; meanwhile in Lorentzii the third 

 upper premolar is higher than the cusps of the molars, in Nouhuysii the third upper premolar 

 on the contrary is shorter than the molar-cusps; in the lower jaw of both species the third 

 premolar is a very small tooth not half as high as the anterior premolar; in Lorentzii the 

 second premolars like the lower canines are stronger than in Nouhuysii. 



The skeleton has 13 thoracic, 6 lumbar, 2 sacral and 25 caudal vertebrae. The sternum 

 agrées closely with that bone in Lorentzii but the xiphisternum has an hour-glass-form and 

 not the very typical spade-form, although like in Lorentzii ending in a broad cartilage 

 posteriorly; the segments of the mesosternum are distorted, so that they cannot be subjected 

 to discussion. It is very interesting to state that the animal when young must hâve had 

 fractures, besides of the tenth caudal vertebra, also of the left nineth, tenth and eleventh ribs, 

 and it therefore is more than hypothetical to suggest that at the same occasion the segments 

 of the mesosternum must hâve been damaged, and so may be explained their distorted 



1) „Bivak IV" and not „Bivak Island", as I worte in my short paper in the „Notes from te Leyden Muséum" 

 191 1, p. 235, having been mistaken by a nearly illegible label. 



Nova Guinea. IX. Zoologie. 24 



