entirely different species from that of Tasmania or Victoria, I gladly embraced the opportunity of determining 
the species in the only way in which it could for the first time be done from the skin, namely, from an 
examination of the skull ; and in this way I am able to furnish a description of the external characters of 
what I believe to he the Phascolomys latifrons. Mr. Angas not noticing the extraordinary character of the 
hairy muffle, I am quite uncertain as to what his species may really be. His differs from mine also in having 
the feet of the same colour as the body, instead of a rich brown. 
“ The two specimens examined were quite alike ; both were males. Their general size and shape is 
somewhat like that of P. Wombat , but the body is considerably longer and narrower in proportion; 
the neck is also so much more. slender that the animal may easily be confined by a dog-collar round the 
neck, which cannot he done with P. Wombat, from the neck being nearly as thick as the head. The head, 
instead of being broader, is narrower and deeper in proportion to the length of the body ; the forehead 
is much more elevated across the eyes, forming a very obtuse but distinct angle with the line of the 
nose ; but the most extraordinary difference in the character of the head is produced by the great width and 
flatness of the nose, which is covered with dense coarse white hair, and is much wider than high, instead of 
being narrow, black, naked, and longitudinally ovate. Another marked peculiarity is the great comparative 
length of the ears, which are long and elliptically pointed, differing remarkably from the very short rounded 
ears of P. Wombat. The general outline, too, of P. latifrons is rendered remarkably different by the 
broad, flat, oblique form of the body behind the crest of the hips, and the hair forming two circular 
rosettes on that part, uniting to form a short transverse crest across the back by meeting the ordinary 
hair of the hack coming down in the opposite direction. The claws are shorter and broader than those 
of P. Wombat. The tail, also, instead of being a mere tubercle, is slender and cylindrical. 
“The fur is totally unlike the coarse, harsh, densely adpressed fur of P. Wombat, being soft, and in 
length, texture, and feel resembling more nearly that of an English wild rabbit. It is closer on the feet and 
toes than on the legs, differing thus from the long bristly covering of the toes of P. Wombat. 
“Upper part of head, back, sides, and legs brownish grey; a semicircular spot under the nostrils, one 
in front of the eye, a broad spot on the chin, the back of the ears, and the feet dark brown ; the crest of the 
lower part of the back is dusky brown ; the tail is blackish and naked ; the under part of the body is whitish 
or dull grey, and the sides under the head ochraceous or yellowish ; whiskers black, with a few white hairs ; 
hairs on muffle silvery-whitish grey. 
“ From Mr. Angas omitting to notice the broad, white hairy muffle, and from the narrowness of the head 
and great width of the nostrils, I supposed the species I have above described would prove to be the 
Phascolomys platyrhinus of Owen, which seems to have been overlooked by most subsequent writers, but an 
examination of the skull proved the above-given description to belong truly to the P. latifrons ; possibly Mr. 
Gould and Mr. Angas may have had P. platyrhinus under their eyes.” 
It will be remarked that both Professor M'Coy and Mr. Angas consider the animal they respectively 
describe to be the true P. latifrons of Owen ; and from an examination of examples received from South 
Australia, I have no doubt that the remarks of both gentlemen refer to one and the same animal : the 
omission of the hairy muzzle by Mr. Angas may have arisen from the hairs having been eroded in consequence 
of confinement, as is the case to a certain extent with the animal in our Gardens. With regard to the P. 
vlatyrhinus I may mention, that on a further examination of the skull in the Museum of the College of 
Surgeons to which that name has been applied, it so much resembles several skulls of P. Wombat, that 
it is questionable if it be really distinct. 
While writing these remarks, another Phascolomys has just arrived at the Zoological Society’s Gardens 
in the Regent’s Park, which certainly differs from all the rest, its colour being uniform jet-black, even 
to the plated bare shield on the nose. It is allied to the P. lasiorhinus in its long pointed ears, which at 
once separates it from P. Wombat and the animal I have figured as P. latifrons. For this new species I 
propose the name of P. niger. Its native locality is unknown : can it be the dark animal spoken of by the 
blacks to Mr. Angas as inhabiting the Murray scrub ? 
In concluding these remarks, I must express a hope that mammalogists will adopt the names I have applied 
to the four species of Wombat. I admit that there is still some little difficulty as to the identity of the P. 
latifrons of Owen, whether it be or be not a species still unknown to us, or whether it be the animal I have 
fio-ured under that name. I must also in fairness state that the skull of P. lasiorhinus sent to the Museum of 
o 
the Roval College of Surgeons for comparison appeared not to be fully adult ; at the same time it exhibited 
so many striking differences from the skull to which the name of P. latifrons was assigned, that no anatomist 
would for a moment consider them to be identical ; and we can scarcely suppose that the progress of age 
would produce so great a change in the character of the skull that ultimately they would be alike. 
My figures were taken from a drawing made by Mr. Wolf, from the animal in the Zoological Society’s 
Gardens, which was received from South Australia. 
