HYPSIPRYMNUS GILBERTII, Gould. 



Gilbert's Rat Kang-aroo. 



^&* 



Spec. Q\\SLY.—Hyps. colore corporis superne e cinereo,fusco, nigroque commixt'is, linea nigrescente a naso ducta cum colore 

 frontis se intermiscente ; co?pore siibtus e cinereo alho. 



Descr. — General colour of all the upper surface mingled grey, brown and black ; produced by the base of the hairs 

 being grey, the middle portion brown and black; centre and lower part of the back washed with reddish 

 brown ; a blackish line commences at the nose and blends into the general colour on the forehead ; all the under 

 surface greyish white ; hands greyish brown ; feet blackish brown ; tail black, very thinly clothed with short 

 hairs. 



Length from the nose to the extremity of the tail 



of tail 



,, tarsus and toes, including the nail 



„ ai-m and hand, including the nails 



,, face from the tip of the nose to the base of the ear 



„ ear 



Hypsiprymnus Gilbertii, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, February 9, 1841. 

 Grul-gyte, Aborigines of King George's Sound, South Australia. 



feet. 



inches. 



1 



10 





6t 





3 





2|- 





3i 





1 



In its outward appearance this little animal closely resembles the Hypsiprymnus Minor, but on a comparison of the 

 skulls of the two species a marked difference is observable, that of the present having the nasal bone more produced or 

 swollen out at the sides ; the tarsi and tail also are shorter in Gilbert's than in the Hyp. Minor. These Hypsiprymni 

 are evidently analogues of each other, the former being found only on the western coast, while the other is confined to 

 the eastern portions of Australia. 



The animal here represented was procured at King George's Sound, where it is called Grul-gyte by the Aborigines. 

 In dedicating it to Mr. Gilbert, who proceeded with me to Australia to assist in the objects of my expedition, and who 

 is still prosecuting his researches on the northern portion of that continent, I embrace with pleasure the opportunity thus 

 afforded me of expressing my sense of the great zeal and assiduity he has displayed in the objects of his mission ; and as 

 science is indebted to Mr. Gilbert for the knowledge of this and several other interesting discoveries, I trust that, how- 

 ever ohjectionable it may be to name species after individuals, in this instance it will not be deemed inappropriate. 



