TUFT-TAILED HAT-KANGAROO. 
210 
portion of the tail is furnished above with a brush of long 
hairs, anil clothed beneath with short lmirs which are closely 
applied to the skin, the organ in question possesses the 
prehensile power—a power of encircling and holding objects; 
but here the tail is used, as Mr. Gould informs us, for 
carrying grasses, &c., with which these animals form their 
nests. The nest, Mr. Gould states, is placed in a hollow in 
the ground, excavated for its reception, and, its upper surface 
being on a level with the surrounding herbage, it requires the 
practised eye of the native to discover it. During the day 
the nest is generally tenanted by one, and sometimes by a 
pair, of these small Rut-Kangaroos, and these lie perfectly 
concealed from view, there being no apparent outlet. It 
would seem, that after they have crept in, they drag some 
grass over the entrance. In the evening they sally forth in 
quest of food, which consists of grasses and roots ; the latter 
being procured by scratcliiug and burrowing, for which the 
strong claws of their fore feet are well adapted. 
Bettongia Gouldii . 
The specific name Gouldii is applied by Mr. Gray to a 
very young animal contained in the British Museum Gallery, 
which it appears to me merely presents the immature condi¬ 
tion of the Hypsiprymnus penicillatus. This specimen is 
about the size of a Common Rat fMtts decuman us, J being 
inches in length from the tip of the nose to the root of the 
tail. The fur is of a brownish tint, the hairs being pencilled 
with black and yellowish white: the under parts of the body 
are white, but in parts suffused with yellow. The tail is 
nearly 7 inches in length, of a rusty brown colour at the 
base, and the terminal half is black both above and below. 
The tarsi are brown, and, as is usual in young animals, are 
disproportionately large, being 3^ inches in length, including 
the nail of the central toe. The animal in question is from 
