PERAMELES MACROURA. 
Thick-tailed Perameles. 
Perameles macroura. Gould, Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 
February, 1842, Pt. 10, p. 41. 
Thick-tailed Bandicoot. Gray, List of the Specimens of Mammalia in the 
Collection of the British Museum, p. 96. 1813. 
Fur moderate as to length, ami harsh to the touch ; on the upper 
parts of the body pencilled with black and yellow in about 
equal proportions; on the sides of the body the yellow pre¬ 
vails ; under parts yellow, or yellow-white: tail about equal 
to half the body in length, sparingly clothed with small stiff 
hairs ; above black, beneath brown-white; ears moderate. 
Inhabits North Australia. 
The specimens upon which Mr. Gould founded his Peramek s 
macroura were procured at Port Essington. It may be de¬ 
sirable to notice, with respect to the specific name selected, 
that it has reference to a comparison between the present 
species and the P. obcsula and its allies, the tail of the Per . 
macroura being proportionately shorter than in the P, layotix. 
Besides the bristly hairs which cover this animal, there is a 
scanty under fur of fine hairs, which, on the upper parts of 
the body, is of a brown-grey hue; on the under parts all 
the hairs are sometimes of a delicate yellow, and sometimes 
of a yellow-white tint throughout. The feet are brown-white; 
those ol* the hind legs, however, are indistinctly tinted with 
yellow. The tail resembles that of a Rat in being sparinglv 
clothed with small stiff hairs, which are not so numerous as 
to hide the scaly skin beneath. The ears are of moderate 
size, have the hinder margin straight, and are clothed 
