PHASCOLOMBYS WOMBAT. 
210 
hair of tlio ordinary lit t has the exposed portion chiefly 
of a dirty white colour; but the longer and coarser hairs 
are black at the point: on the under parts of the body the 
hairs are for the most part of a dirty white colour, hut dusky 
at the root. Tho general tint of these parts is paler than that 
of the back. Tho naked muffle is black; tho cars small, 
pointed, and well clothed with hairs. The legs are short 
and strong, and the feet broad, nuked beneath, and covered 
with minute, round, fleshy tubercles; the claws are large; 
those of the fore-feet solid, (that is, not coucuve beneath), 
but slightly curved, and depressed; those of the hind feet 
are curved, slightly compressed, and concave beneath. The 
hairs of the moustaches are numerous, strong, and of a 
black colour, as ore also some long bristly hairs which 
spring from the cheeks. The tail is a mere tubercle, and 
consequently liidden by the fur. The skeleton of the Wom¬ 
bat presents certain peculiarities which arc well worthy 
of attention; for instance, the number of its ribs (and 
consequently of the dorsal vertebra?) is unusally large, 
being fifteen, whilst twelve or tliirteen are usually found in the 
Marsupialia. The body of the atlas vertebra remains per¬ 
manently cartilaginous 1 ; the humerus, besides having the 
inner condyle perforated, has an opening between the con¬ 
dyles ; the patella, or knee-bone, is wanting. 
Side view of the Skull of the Wombat. 
1 This character, however, is not peculiar, since, according to Prof. Owen, 
the atlas vertebra of the Koala also retains the cartilaginous condition, and the 
Professor also calls attention to the general imperfect condition of the part in 
