PHASCOLOMYLDiE ; or Wombat Family. 
Phascolomina . Guay, Annals of Philosophy, xivi, 1825. 
VhoMcolomtjvUe. Owbn, Classification of the Mantipialia. Proceedings of the 
Zoological Society for January, 1839, Part 7, p. 19. 
Marsupial Mammals with incisor teeth i; premolars fzr!; true 
molars i=J = 24 ; all the teeth rootless. 
«—l 
It is in accordance with the views of Professor Owen that the 
author separates the Wombats from the other Mursupialiti as 
a distinct family, but it may be questioned whether these 
animals should not be regarded as forming, ns I have before 
stated, an aberrant section of the Phalatiffisfithc, to which 
they appear to hear the same kind of relationship as that which 
exists between the Voles (ArvicoUeJ and the true Rats, among 
Rodents, the Wombats differing chiefly from the Phalangers 
in having rootless teeth; hut also they differ in the reduced 
number of incisors of the upper jaw. The habits of the Wom¬ 
bats, as compared with those of the Pholongers, likewise in¬ 
volve other differential characters; such as those observable in 
the structure of the toes of the fore feet, with their short, 
broad, and solid nails fitted for burrowing, and the small 
development of the thumb of the inner toe of the hind fool, 
this organ not being required for prehension in an animal 
vol. t 
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