SADDLE-BACKED PERAMELES. 
383 
yellow line on the hinder part; a largish bright rusty yellow, 
or orange-coloured spot, is observable at the anterior angle, 
and a broad dusky band crosses the middle, running from 
the anterior margin, obliquely backwards and downwards. 
A delicate brownish red tint is observable on the sides ol the 
body. The tail is clothed throughout with very small stiff 
hairs, which are sufficiently numerous, however, to hide the 
scaly skin beneath, in the specimens which I have examined, 
though it appears they are less numerous in the specimen 
described by Prof. Wagner 1 . The naked portion of the 
muzzle terminates in a point about of an inch behind the 
line of the nostril openings 
Inches. Lines. 
Length from tip of nose to root of tail ... 11 0 
“ of tail ... ... ... ... 3 G 
“ of ear ... ... ... . 1 3 
“ of tarsus, including the nail ... 2 4 
“ from nose to ear ... .. 3 1 
The Saddle-backed Perameles, according to Mr. Gould, 
“ inhabits the whole line of coast of the Swan Eiver colony, 
but is apparently not found to the westward of the Darling 
range of hills. It resides in the densest scrub ; thickets of 
the seedling Casuarince being its favourite resort. It makes 
a compact nest in a hollow on the ground, of grasses and 
other materials, which assimilate so closely in colour and 
appearance to the surrounding herbage, that it is very difficult 
of detection, the difficulty being much increased by the nest 
having no visible opening for the ingress and egress of the 
animals. The nests are generally inhabited by pairs : the 
young are either three or four in number. 
tc Its food consists of insects, seeds, &c. It excavates holes 
1 D. Wagner says the tail is similar to a rat’s tail: the tail of the animals 
before me -will not bear this comparison, being mucli more densely clothed 
than in the common rat, which of course must be the one referred to. 
