390 
PE RAM ELKS DOREYAKUS. 
than in Perameles ; but the muzzle is very narrow. The ears 
are larger than usual in the genus last mentioned. The 
limbs are longer, and remarkable for their slenderness, the 
fore legs being scarcely as thick as an ordinary sized goose- 
quill. The two toes with which they are terminated arc very 
small, and provided with small, compressed, and but little 
curved, nails; they have each an oblong fleshy pad on the 
under surface, behind which is a second fleshy tubercle, but 
this latter is very small. The two toes most probably corre¬ 
spond to the second and third, since the fourth is the smallest 
of the three developed toes in Perameles. The hind legs are 
distinctly longer than the anterior, and almost equally slender; 
the foot is long, and at first glance appears to have but one 
large toe, the other toes being very small, and far removed 
from the extremity of the foot; the little outer too is placed 
about midway between the extremities of the foot, and has a 
Binall conical nail: the joined inner toes are almost ns small; 
they have hollow nails, and arc placed rather in advance of 
the outer toe. The tarsus is entirelv covered with hair 
- 
beneath, if we except a small tubercle situnted at the com¬ 
mencement of the anterior third of the foot. The great 
developed toe has a largo fleshy pad at its extremity on the 
under surface, and terminates in a nail in the form of a com¬ 
pressed cone. From these circumstances it would appear 
that the heel is not applied to the ground. The tail is 
short and slender. The pouch opens backwards, ns in 
Perameles. 
