NEW GUINEA PERAMELES. 
387 
large, and somewhat rounded; limbs short and stout; the 
outer and inner toes of the fore feet clawless : all the claws 
strong, short, slightly arched, and rounded above and beneath : 
fur harsh; of a rusty brown colour on the upper parts of 
the body—a tint produced by the admixture of blackish 
brown harsh hairs with others of a liner quality, and golden 
rusty colour; sides of the body of a pale hue; under parts, 
and inner sides of the limbs, pale yellowish; ears yellowish, 
and destitute of hair, excepting on the anterior margin : toes 
of the hind feet covered with pale yellowish hairs; tail short, 
and but sparingly furnished with short harsh hairs. 
Inhabits New Guinea. 
Total length 
Length of head . 
Distance between ears 
Length of ears ... 
Width of ditto *.. 
Length of anterior members about 
“ of posterior ditto 
“ of tail . 
Inches. Lines. 
19 5 
4 4 
1 3 
1 1 
95 
3 3 
5 9 
3 5 
The above is the description given by Messrs. Quoy and 
Gainmrd, but slightly abbreviated. With regard to the denti¬ 
tion, it is stated the Perameles doreyanus 1 has in all 40 teeth ; 
the two wanting to complete the number found in other species 
of Perameles, are, two incisors of the upper jaw, eight only 
being enumerated in the dental formula given. Possibly 
these teeth may at one time have existed in the skull, but 
had been lost whilst the animal w*as alive, in which case the 
sockets would soon become obliterated. A skull of an aged 
specimen of Perameles obesula , now before me, lias but eight 
incisors in the upper jaw, the foremost pair having been lost, 
1 M. Lesson arranges this animal under a new generic title, in his Nouveau 
Tableau du Regne Animal. It will be found under the name Echymipera 
Kalubu , in that work (see p. 192). 
