MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 29 



five toes, furnished with claws, except inner 

 toes of hind feet ; plantigrade ; pouch some- 

 times rudimentary. Dentition in. ^ can. J—J 

 pre-molars |~| molars £~* molars tubercu- 

 lous. 



2. Family. — Dasyures (Dasyuridas). Head rather 



depressed, tip of muzzle naked ; five well 

 developed toes on fore feet, nails crooked; 

 hind feet with the thumb small resembling 

 a tubercle, or absent, and four disunited 

 toes ; tail long, well clothed, non-prehensile ; 

 pouch sometimes absent. Dentition in. |, 

 canines large, molars trenchant. 



3. Family. — Bandicoots (Peramelidae). Head long, 



very pointed, tip of muzzle naked; ears some- 

 times very large; outer toes of fore feet re- 

 sembling tubercles, the others fully deve- 

 loped ; hind feet considerably longer than 

 fore, inner toes sometimes present, but rudi- 

 mentary, the two next united as far as the 

 nails, the fourth large and furnished with a 

 strong nail ; pouch opening backwards. Den- 

 tition in. ^ in. \—\, pre-mo. jj? molars £~*. 



4. Family. — Phalangers (Phalangistidse). Head 



broad, short, tip of muzzle naked, upper lip 

 cleft; fore feet with five toes, armed with com- 

 pressed curved claws ; hind feet with a nail- 

 less opposable thumb, remainder furnished 

 with curved claws, second and third toes 

 united; skin sometimes expanded from sides 

 of body and extended between fore and hind 



