The Humeri of Various Wombats. 
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before attempting to discuss the osteology of the specimens I propose to 
deal with, it will be necessary to call attention to the somewhat similar work 
detailed in Memoir No. 3 of the National Museum, Melbourne, compiled by 
Prof. Baldwin Spencer, F.R.S., and Mr. J. A. Kershaw, F.F.S. This paper will 
be the only one I refer to in the present text, as it is the only one that in any 
sense covers similar ground. The main object of the paper cited was to exhaus¬ 
tively emendate the existing classification of wombats, and to establish specific 
distinction for the wombat of Mass Straits Islands, as also for that commonly 
found in Tasmania. Inter alia, the authors listed comparative measurements of 
various humeri, but did not make quite the same special study of the King 
Island wombat humeri that I intend doing here. My notes arc chiefly the 
outcome of certain comparative studies conducted among the extinct gigantic 
Koto then a. The recent discovery (1913) of wombat remains in Tasmanian 
caves, that closely simulate similar specimens from King Island, obviously 
establish a line of departure from that so clearly laid down by the authors 
abovenatnexi About a year after the publication of the National Museum 
Memoir, I was making extensive comparative notes upon Xototheria and 
wombats, and was much struck with the fact that all the humeri of King Island 
wombats that had passed through my hands were, without any exception, long 
and narrow, with extended pectoral ridges, and deltoids 'nigh up the shafts. As 
far as is known to me, with the exception of these humeri just found in the 
Limestone Caves at Mole Creek. Tasmania, such bones are not at present 
obtainable from any other sources. 
Plate No. 1, Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, depict King Island humeri of various 
stages of growth. Figues 5 to 6 inclusive give a similar series from the Mole 
Creek Caves of Tasmania. These photographs are sufficiently good to show the 
striking similarity of the two sets of bones. 
Plate No. 2 is arranged to contrast the narrow and the wide type of humeri. 
Figure 1 is a wide humerus from the existing Flinders Island wombat. 
Figure 2 is a narrow humerus from Mole Creek. 
Figure 3 is a similar specimen from King Island. 
While Figure 4 is an immature, wide type of humerus from the existing 
wombat, of Tasmania. 
Plate No. 3 is of special interest, as ilie two humeri, one femur, and the two 
rami of the mandible of an extinct (immature) wombat, are all supplied by a 
single animal. These associated bones carry the numbers 1 to 5 inclusive. 
Numbers 6 and 7 are two non-associated rami of King Island wombats, of 
approximately similar size. The King Island jaws, however, seem of greater 
age. 
Plate No. 4 illustrates a heavy wombat humerus from the Mole Creek 
Caves that closely simulates the humerus of P. latifrons, of South Australia. 
