354 
PERAMELID/E, or Peramelbs Family. 
Pcramelida? . Waterhouse, in Naturalists* Library—Mnrsupialia. 1841. 
Peramelina. Gray, Annals of Philosophy, xxri. 1825. 
Dentition: —Incisors,—; canines,—; premolars,—; true mo- 
C I—1 4 3—3 
lars, ^ =48. Tlic teeth rooted ; premolars compressed 
and pointed ; true molars tubercular. 
Head elongated, the facial part narrow, and pointed; muffle 
naked; nostrils lateral, and with a longitudinal groove between 
them; upper lip slightly cleft; ears moderate or very large, 
provided with two prominent fleshy lobes running backwards 
from the anterior angle, and a third lobe, also on the inner 
side, situated near the lower posterior angle. 
Limbs unequal—the posterior legs being considerably longer than 
the anterior. Fore feet with the outer toes rudimentary. 
Hind feet with the inner toe rudimentary or absent; the 
second and third toes joined to the extremity, and having 
small nails; the fourth toe very" large, and tlic outer toe 
moderate—sometimes rudimentary. 
Tail usually short, and clothed with small hairs ; sometimes 
long, and clothed, in parts at least, with very long hairs. 
Pouch of the female with its entrance usually directed towards 
the tail. 
Mammce eight P 1 
Stomach simple. Caecum of moderate size. 
The animals of the present family are of small size, the 
largest known species being scarcely equal in hulk to the 
Common Hare. They occur in Van Diemen’s Land, and, on 
the continent of Australia, they have been found in all the 
1 Prof. Owen found eight nipples in the Perametes tiasuta, arranged in two 
slightly curved longitudinal rows : possibly this number may not be constant 
in all the species of Peramelida ?. 
