TARSIPES ROSTRATUS, Gerv. et Verr. 
Long-nosed Tarsipes. 
Tarsipes rostratus, Gei'v. and Verr. in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part X. p. 1. — lb. in Guerin’s Mag. de Zool., 1842, 
Mamm., pis. 35, 36, 37. 
Spenserce, Gray in Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist., vol. ix. p. 40. — List of Mamm. in Brit. Mus. Coll., p. 87. 
Jee-pin, Aborigines around Perth. 
Ngool-boon-goor, Aborigines of King George’s Sound. 
This highly curious little animal was first brought before the notice of the scientific world by M. Paul 
Gervais, who in his own name and that of M. Jules Verreaux read a lengthened memoir, illustrated by 
drawings, respecting its structure and affinities, at the scientific meeting of the Zoological Society of 
London, held on the 11th of January, 1842; immediately after which period specimens were sent to 
this country from King George’s Sound by His Excellency Governor Grey ; and Mr. J. E. Gray, conceiving 
the differences they exhibited from M. Gervais’ animal to be of specific importance, applied to the animal 
in question the term Speiiserce, from the maiden name of His Excellency’s amiable lady. As soon as I 
became aware of the existence of so interesting an animal in Western Australia, I wrote to Mr. Gilbert, 
and directed him to pay particular attention to the subject ; and he has since transmitted to me several 
examples both from the neighbourhood of Swan River and from King George’s Sound, a careful examina- 
tion of which with those above-mentioned has fully satisfied me of their identity. 
The following notes accompanied the specimens : — 
“ The Tarsipes is generally found in all situations suited to its existence from Swan River to King 
George’s Sound, but from its rarity and the difficulty with which it is procured, notwithstanding the high 
rewards I offered, the natives only brought me four specimens ; one of these, a female, I kept alive for 
several months, and it soon became so tame as to allow itself to be caressed in the hand without evincing 
any fear or making any attempt to escape. It is strictly nocturnal, sleeping during the greater part of 
the day and becoming exceedingly active at night : when intent upon catching flies it would sit quietly in 
one corner of its cage, eagerly watching their movements, as, attracted by the sugar, they flew around ; and 
when a fly was fairly wdthin its reach it bounded as quick as lightning and seized it with unerring aim, then 
retired to the bottom of the cage and devoured it at leisure, sitting tolerably erect and holding the fly 
between its fore-paws, and always rejecting the head, wings and legs. The artificial food given it was 
sopped bread made very sweet with sugar, into which it inserted its long tongue precisely in the way 
in which the Honey-eaters among birds do theirs into the flower-cups for honey ; every morning the sop 
was completely honey-combed, as it were, from the moisture having been drained from it by the repeated 
insertion of the tongue ; a little moistened sugar on the end of the finger would attract it from one part of 
the cage to the other ; and by this means an opportunity may be readily obtained for observing the beautiful 
prehensile structure of the tongue, which I have frequently seen protruded for nearly an inch beyond the 
nose ; the edges of the tongue near the tip are slightly serrated. The tail is prehensile, and is used when 
the animal is climbing precisely like that of the Hepoona. The eyes, although small, are exceedingly 
prominent and are placed very near each other ; the ears are generally carried quite erect. When sleeping 
the animal rests upon the lower part of the back, with its long nose bent down between its fore-feet and its 
tail brought over all and turned down the back. Mr. Johnson Drummond shot a pair in the act of sucking 
the honey from the blossoms of the Melaleuca ; he watched them closely, and distinctly saw them insert 
their long tongues into the flower precisely after the manner of the birds above-mentioned.” 
The figures on the accompanying Plate are of the natural size, and being carefully coloured after nature, 
renders a minute description unnecessary. The sexes are similarly marked, and may be thus briefly de- 
scribed : — 
All the upper surface grey with a dorsal stripe of black, on either side of which is a broader one of 
reddish brown. The under surface and feet are buffy white, the buff tints becoming of a deeper hue on the 
flanks, the forehead inclining to rufous, and the space round the eye buffy white. 
The singular plant upon which the three figures are placed is a species of Petrophila, the specific name 
of which I am unacquainted with : like many others of the Western Australian plants, it is probably 
undescribed. 
