92 
RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 
For reasons hereafter given, I do not feel justified in regarding 
this animal as a distinct species, although in view of its peculiarities 
of fur, tail, and habit, it may ultimately be deemed worthy of 
specific rank. At present I prefer to regard it as a well-marked 
variety of P. herbertensis , and deserving of at least a varietal 
name. I have, therefore, much pleasure in associating with it the 
name of Dr. Robert Collett, of Christiania, whose researches into 
the fauna of Australia, and of the genus Pseudochirus in particular, 
are well known. 
This form will therefore be known as : — 
Pseudochirus herbertensis, var. colletti. 
Animal smaller. Fur markedly longer, less wavy, much finer 
and softer to the touch than in the typical form. Much greyer 
and darker in colour, the hairs behind the shoulders being usually 
tipped with white or pale yellow ; the rump and coloured portion 
of the tail black. The ears are rich rufous without and the chin 
is grey. The naked portion beneath the tail is smooth, not 
sharply defined from the hairy part and of less extent than in the 
typical race. 
The dimensions of five animals are as follows : — 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
E. 
Head and body 
.. 320 
320 
300 
290 
260 mm. 
Tail... 
.. 310 
310 
290 
280 
245 mm. 
Skull . — Excepting for its relatively smaller size, the skull 
scarcely differs from typical examples, and mainly for this reason 
I hesitate to accord the form more than varietal rank. It may 
be noticed, however, that the facial index is higher than that of 
P. herbertensis , as determined by Thomas.* 
The principal skull dimensions are as follows : — 
mm. 
Basal length 
62-4 
Greatest breadth ... 
35-6 
Nasals, length 
23’8 
,, greatest breadth ... 
8-5 
„ least breadth 
3-7 
Constriction, breadth 
7-4 
Palate, length 
37-9 
,, breadth outside M 2 
18-2 
„ „ inside M 2 
12-1 
Palatal foram en 
5-4 
Basi-cranial axis ... 
21*2 
Basi-facial axis 
410 
Facial index 
193 
* Thomas — Brit. Mus. Cat. Marsup., 1888, p. 185. 
