the banded myrmecobius. 
397 
Two specimens of this very elegant little animal were seen 
by Lieut. Dale, both of which fled to hollow trees for shelter 
upon being pursued. The district in which they were found 
abounded in decayed trees and ant-hills; and from some 
peculiarities in the dentition of the animal, combined with 
its extremely long and slender tongue, the author, when the 
animal was placed in his hands by the discoverer, to he 
described, felt certain that its food was not only insects, hut 
consisted of the softer and smaller species, for procuring 
which, by scratching up the earth, the strong fore feet and 
claws appeared to be adapted. Indeed, the peculiarities of 
structure, combined with the fact that the animal w r as found 
in the vicinity of ant-hills, suggested that its food in all 
probability consisted chiefly of ants—and hence the generic 
name. As yet, however, we have no direct evidence that ants 
form the chief food of the Myrmecobius , though it is stated 
in Mr. Gould’s “ Mammals of Australia,” that wherever this 
animal takes up its abode, there ants are found to be very 
abundant. In the same work the following particulars of the 
habits of our animal are given, from the pen of Mr. 
Gilbert:— 
“ I have seen a good deal of this beautiful little animal. 
It appears very much like a squirrel when running on the 
ground, which it does in successive leaps, •with its tail a little 
elevated; every now and then raising its body, and resting on 
its hind feet. When alarmed it generally takes to a dead tree 
lying on the ground, and before entering the hollow invariably 
raises itself on its hind feet, to ascertain the reality of 
approaching danger. In this kind of retreat it is easily 
captured, and -when caught, is so harmless and tame, as 
scarcely to make any resistance, and never attempts to bite. 
When it has no chance of escaping from its place of refuge 
it utters a sort of half smothered grunt, apparently produced 
by a succession of hard breathings. 
