104 
PHASCOOALE. 
The muzzle is pointed, and but little elongated ; the muffle 
is naked, and the nostrils are lateral. The ears are of mode¬ 
rate size, broadest at the base, and have the hinder edge 
emarginated, or nearly straight. The limbs are short; the 
fore feet are provided with five well developed toes, having 
compressed, curved, and pointed claws: four of the toes of 
the hind feet have similar claws, but the toe corresponding to 
the thumb is nailless. 
The Phascogales are insectivorous mammals, and climb 
trees and shrubs in quest of their prey. The largest known 
species is about equal in bulk to the Common Rat, and most 
of the species are considerably smaller than that, animal. 
Within the last four or five years the described species of 
the present section have increased from two, which have long 
been known, to about a dozen, and some trivial differences 
observed among these have given rise to the establishment 
of new genera; as sections of minor value only can we 
adopt them. 
The dentition of the Phascogales presents some modifica¬ 
tions in the different species which are worthy of notice: thus, in 
P. penicillata , P. calura , and P. apical is , the third premolar 
of the lower jaw is very much smaller than the preceding two 
premolars, but the last mentioned of these three species differs 
from P. penicillata and P. calura in having the third pre¬ 
molar of the upper jaw also very small, the eorrespomliug 
tooth being distinctly the largest of the premolars in those 
animals. P. penicillata and P. calura differ from all other 
species, in having the foremost of the three lateral incisors 
of the upper jaw the largest: in other Phascogales they are 
of equal size, or perhaps in some it may be said to be 
smaller than the others : in P. albipes and P. crassicaudata 
the tooth in question is rather smaller than the other incisors. 
The lateral upper incisors in all the Phascogales are vertical, 
whilst the anterior pair, which are larger, are directed forwards. 
