Peramelid^. — — MAMMALIA. Dasydbidas. 
214 
into two groups, the pollex and index fingers antagoniz- 
ing the outer three, so as to aflford a strong prehensile 
action. The Koala is a native of various parts of 
Australia. It is about the size of a small dog, measur- 
ing nearly two feet in length. The fur is coarse, 
thick, and long, possessing a peculiar ashy-brown 
colour. It is eminently arboreal in its habits, feeding 
only upon leaves and buds, but partly residing in small 
burrows excav'ated beneath the roots of trees. The 
female is wont to carry her offspring on her back for a 
considerable period Its movements, however, are 
comparatively sluggish under ordinary circumstances. 
Family IV.— PEEAMELID.®. 
Looking at the dental peculiarities displayed by tlie 
members of this family — commonly called Bandicoot 
Rats— it will he at once evident that we have passed 
on to a group of marsupials far less phytivorous in 
their habits than any of the preceding. In short, we 
have taken up a carnivorous type, and find, accordingly, 
well-developed canines, numerous incisors — ten above 
and six below — and, in addition, there is a full comple- 
ment of molars — twelve false and sixteen true ; but 
the characters of the latter conform more closely to 
the insectivorous than to the carnivorous mammals, 
properly so called. Co- ordinating with the multiple 
arrangement of the teeth, we find a marked extension 
of the jaws, combined with a corresponding attenua- 
tion of the muzzle. The hind feet are much longer 
and stouter than the anterior pair, whereby their 
leaping powers are increased, the second and third 
toes of the posterior limbs being also conjoinedaas far 
as the base of the claws, whilst the digit equivalent to 
the thumb is perfectly developed in the fore-feet. The 
outer toes are very short and placed far back — almost 
concealed. The other toes are all furnished with 
powerful claws, enabling their possessors to dig and 
burrow with facility. Bandicoots are found only in 
Australia and Van Diemen’s Land. 
THE LONG-NOSED BANDICOOT {Perameles nasutus) . 
— Four or five species are referable to the present genus; 
for in addition to the one here named, naturalists have 
recognized F. Lagotis, P. Gunnii, and P. ohesula as 
specifically distinct. The first of these three had been 
generically separated by Professor Owen, under the 
title of Thalaconus. It is also commonly known as 
the Philander, and is furnished with long ears and an 
extensive bushy tail ; the muzzle being very much pro- 
duced and abruptly attenuated. The outer incisor of 
tlie upper is not separated widely from its fellows. P. 
Gunnii of Dr. J. E. Gray is an inhabitant of Van 
Diemen’s Land, and is distinguished by its possession 
of a very short, white tail ; the haunches being also 
marked by several pale-coloured bands. In addition 
to insects, it appears to be very fond of bulbous roots. 
P. ohesula is commonly termed the Spring Bandicoot — 
Plate 30, fig. 95. In the Long-Nosed Bandicoot the 
ears are moderate and pointed, the fur having a 
brownish-grey tint above, passing into white beneath ; 
the nose is prolonged beyond the jaw. In all, the 
coecum is of moderate size. According to Professor 
Owen, the marsupial pouch, “ at least in the full-grown 
females of P. nasuta, P. ohesula, and P. Lagotis, has 
its orifice directed downwai-ds or towards the cloaca, 
contrari\vise to its ordinary position in the marsupials : 
this direction of the pouch evidently relates to the pro- 
cumbent position of the trunk when supported on the 
short fore and long hind legs.” During progression, 
the Bandicoots move the hind-feet together alternately 
with the fore-feet, after the saltatory maimer of rabbits. 
Their flesh is said to be good eating. 
OGILBY’S BANDICOOT {Chceropus castanotis), or the 
Pig-footed Bandicoot, is a remarkable species, ap- 
parently possessing only two toes on the fore-feet ; the 
pollex oi the hinder feet is also absent, the outer pair 
of digits being very conspicuously developed. The 
claws of the latter, as well as of the didactyle fore-feet, 
are particularly strong and adapted for burrowing. 
This species carries forty-six teeth — eight incisors 
above and six below, four canines, twelve spurious, and 
sixteen true molars. The ears are long, elliptical, and 
nearly naked ; but the tail is altogether wanting. 
Another aberrantform of Bandicoot hasbeen described 
by Gervais, and subsequently by Waterhouse and Gould, 
under the title of Tarsipes rostratus. It is a native of 
Western Australia, arboreal and insectivorous in its 
habits, furnished with moderate ears, pentadactylous 
feet — the thumb of the hinder pair being clawless — and 
a long prehensile tail. It possesses only two procum- 
bent incisors in the lower jaw, four canines, and a 
variable number of molars, only twelve remaining con- 
stant. This anomalous species has no coecum. 
Family V.— DASYURIDAE. 
The Dasyures constitute a highly carnivorous group 
of marsupials, clearly representing the true Carnivora of 
the placental mammals. The typical forms have eight 
incisors above and six below, four well-developed 
canines, eight pre-molars, and sixteen true molars — in 
all, forty-two teeth. According to Professor Owen, 
“ the spurious molars have a pointed, compressed, tri- 
angular crown, with a rudimental tubercle at the 
anterior and posterior part of its base. The grinding 
surface of the true molars in the upper jaw is triangular; 
the first presents four sharp cusps ; the second and third 
each five ; the fourth, which is the smallest, only three. 
In the lower jaw the last molar is nearly of equal size 
with the penultimate one, and is bristled with four 
cusps, the external one being the longest.” In other 
respects the lower grinders correspond with those 
opposed above. The anterior limbs are pentadacty- 
lous, but the posterior pair have usually only four digits, 
the pollex being occasionally represented by a small, 
clawless, warty tubercle. Some of tlie species are 
strong and powerfully-built animals. In all, the tail is 
moderately long, non-prehensOe, and generally hairy 
throughout. The various species are natives of Aus- 
tralia and Van Diemen’s Land. 
THE URSINE OPOSSUM {Dasyurus Ursinus), or 
“ Native Devil,” as the Tasmanian colonists term it, 
is a truly formidable species. It is about the size of 
our common badger, being furnished with a coarse 
black fur, which is here and there irregularly marked 
with whitish spots. The tail is rather bare under- 
