ANTECHINUS ALBIPRES.

White-footed Antechinus.

Phascogale albipes, Waterh. in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part X. p. 48.
Phascogale (Antechinus) albipes, Waterh. Nat. Hist. of Mamm., vol. i. p. 421.
Otam-in, Aborigines of Perth.

 

Tux accompanying Plate represents the Phascogale (Antechinus) albipes of Mr. Waterhouse, which appears
to be almost universally distributed over the whole of the southern coast of Australia, from Swan River to
New South Wales. I possess specimens collected by Mr. Gilbert in the vicinity of Perth, in the Swan
River settlement, and others procured by him on the Darling Downs in New South Wales, while the speci-
men from which Mr. Waterhouse took his description had been sent from the intermediate district of
Adelaide in South Australia. Some little difference is observable in specimens from the eastern and western
coasts, particularly in the size of the ear, that organ being of a larger and rounder form in the individuals
from New South Wales than in those from Western Australia ; still this character is too slight to be regarded
as indicative of anything but a mere local variety. I find the following notes respecting this animal among
Mr. Gilbert’s letters to me from Western Australia :—

“This species inhabits the dead stumps of the grass-trees (Xanthorrhea). It makes no nest, but merely
scrapes together a few of the dry fibrous parts: more than a single pair are rarely seen at one time. The
stomachs of those I examined contained the remains of coleoptera. The length of the animal before skin-
ning was seven inches from the tip of the nose to the extremity of the tail; the tail being three and three-
eighths. This species is to be found among the grassy lands of the Toodyay district, as well as among the
dense groves of Xanthorrhea surrounding the swamps in the vicinity of Perth.” When writing from Darling
Downs in New South Wales he remarks: ‘‘ This animal here inhabits clumps of grass in scrubby places :
it may be readily distinguished from all the other members of the genus by its very large ears, the general
lightness of its fur, and its long, slender tanilene

Mr. Waterhouse’s remarks on this species are as follows :-—

“The White-footed Antechinus was discovered by the late J. B. Harvey, Esq., a very zealous corre-
sponding member of the Zoological Society: in size and colouring it greatly resembles the Field Mouse of
Europe; its form is more robust than any of the other Antechini, its feet are more slender, and a greater
portion of the palm of the hind foot is clothed with fur.

“The fur both on the upper and under parts of the body is of a deep slate-grey colour next the skin ; on
ale yellow colour near the point, and black at the point; those on
‘the eyes are encircled with black; the large ears are clothed
‘ but dusky on the outer surface near the anterior margin ;
hite colour on the under, and partly black and partly

the upper parts the hairs are of a very p
the under surface are white at the point ;
throughout with minute hairs, chiefly of a pale hue,
the tail is clothed with very small hairs of a dirty w
yellow-white on the upper surface.”

The figures are of the natural size.

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