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ania or Victoria, I gladly embraced the opportunity ot determining
C oS fal :
the first time be done from the skin, namely, from an

a description of the external characters of

entirely different species from that of Tasm
the species in the only way in which it could for
am able to furnish
s not noticing the extraordinary character of the

ally be. His differs from mine also in having

examination of the skull; and in this way I

what I believe to be the Phascolomys latifrons. Mr. Anga

5 = r rie Bae av re

hairy muffle, I am quite uncertain as to what his species may re
the feet of the same colour as the body, instead of a rich brown.

i i re quite alike; both were males.
a 70S mens examined were quite alike ; '
ee ae yarrower in proportion ;

i is considerably longer and n
he K at of P. Wombat, but the body 1s consi¢ g
ee aa be confined by a dog-collar round the

Their general size and shape is

the neck is also so much more slender that the animal may easily

ic i on : i ck being nearly
neck, which cannot be done with P. 7 ombat, from the neck being nearly , nee
oportion to the length of the body; the foreheac

as thick as the head. The head,

instead of being broader, is narrower and deeper in pr
is much more elevated across the eyes, forming a very ie i
‘aordinary difference in the character of the head is produced by the great width anc

nose ; but the most ext ice
flatness of the nose, which is covered with dense coarse white hair, and is much wider than high, instead o

obtuse but distinct angle with the line of the

being narrow, black, naked, and longitudinally ovate. Another oe pecuharity 1s ae ee
length of the ears, which are long and elliptically pointed, differing remarkably from the very s jot roundec
ears of P. Wombat. The general outline, too, of P. datifrons Is rendered remarkably different bi the
broad, flat, oblique form of the body behind the crest of the hips, and the hair ea two circular
rosettes on that part, uniting to form a short transverse crest across the back by meeting the ordinary
hair of the back coming down in the opposite direction. The claws are SHaLite ae broader than those
of P. Wombat. The tail, also, instead of being a mere tubercle, is slender and cylindrical.

«The fur is totally unlike the coarse, harsh, densely adpressed fur of P. Wombat, bemg soft, and in
length, texture, and feel resembling more nearly that of an English wild rabbit. It is se on the feet and
toes than on the legs, differing thus from the long bristly covering of due toes of P. Wombat.

«Upper part of head, back, sides, and legs brownish grey; a semicircular spot under the nostrils, one
in front of the eye, a broad spot on the chin, the back of the ears, and the feet dark brown; the crest of the
lower part of the back is dusky brown ; the tail is blackish and naked ; ae under part os ao body is warish
or dull grey, and the sides under the head ochraceous or yellowish ; whiskers black, with a few white hairs ;
hairs on muffle silvery-whitish grey.

«From Mr. Angas omitting to notice the broad, white Aairy mufle, and from the narrowness of the head
and great width of the nostrils, I supposed the species I have above described would prove to be the
Phascolomys platyrhinus of Owen, which seems to have been overlooked by most subsequent writers, but an
examination of the skull proved the above-given description to belong truly to the P. datfrons ; possibly Mr.
Gould and Mr. Angas may have had P. platyrhinus under their eyes.”

It will be remarked that hoth Professor M‘Coy and Mr. Angas consider the animal they respectively
describe to be the true P. /atifrons of Owen; and from an examination of examples received from South
Australia, I have no doubt that the remarks of both gentlemen refer to one and the same animal: the
omission of the hairy muzzle by Mr. Angas may have arisen from the hairs having been eroded in consequence
of confinement, as is the case to a certain extent with the animal in our Gardens. With regard to the P.
olatyrhinus 1 may mention, that on a further examination of the skull in the Museum of the College of
Surgeons to which that name has been applied, it so much resembles several skulls of P. Wombat, that
it is questionable if it be really distinct.

While writing these remarks, another Phascolomys has just arrived at the Zoological Society's Gardens
in the Regent’s Park, which certainly differs from all the rest, its colour being uniform jet-black, even
to the plated bare shield on the nose. It is allied to the P. dasiorhinus in its long pointed ears, which at
once separates it from P. Wombat and the animal I have figured as P. latifrons. For this new species I
propose the name of P. niger. Its native locality is unknown: can it be the dark animal spoken of by the
blacks to Mr. Angas as inhabiting the Murray scrub ?

In concluding these remarks, I must express a hope that mammalogists will adopt the names I have applied
to the four species of Wombat. I admit that there is still some little difficulty as to the identity of the P.
latifrons of Owen, whether it be or be not a species still unknown to us, or whether it be the animal I have
figured under that name. I must also in fairness state that the skull of P. dasiorhinus sent to the Museum of
the Royal College of Surgeons for comparison appeared not to be fully adult ; at the same time it exhibited
so many striking differences from the skull to which the name of P. latifrons w:

as assigned, that no anatomist
would for a moment consider them to be identical ;

and we can scarcely suppose that the progress of age
would produce so great a change in the character of the skull that ultimately they would be alike

My figures were talsen from a d rawing made by Mr. Wolf, from the animal in the Zoological Society’s
Gardens, which was received from South Australia.