BETTONGIA CUNICULUS.

r “ ee
LPasmanian Jerboa Kangaroo.

Spec. Char.— Bett. page modice longo, at non permolli, fuscescenti-cinereo, albo irrorato.; pedibus fuscescenti-albis ; caudé
»7 j ip ary 09 Cr . hy yn bs 5 : ‘
ad basin pallide fusca, demde saturate fusca ; ad apicem alba ; auribus leviter flavo marginatis
XI r
escr.—Fur rather long and not very soft ; general c - brownish grey i i i
D : A :, ; au a y soft; general colour brownish grey, pencilled with white ; feet brownish white ;
tail well clothed with pale brown hairs gr 7 passing’ 1 ark 7 1 1
‘ pe hairs gradually passing into dark brown near the extremity, and tipped with

ire white; margin of the ears shhtly tinged with yellowish ; . ° : :
pure ; margin of the ears slightly tinged with yellowish ; under surface of the body dirty white ; fur both
of the upper and under surface grey at the base. (

Male.
feet. inches.
enon tom the nose to the extremity of the tall =) 2 6
of tail Se ee eee J 1
_- HOMSWS Ain! Hoes, wmclucbine dae mel ~ 5 5 o 0 o 0 « 48
g : 4
ee Se ira cal ea Clean Cl InN OM 10 rN cee oe 33
S : Sk
wa ,, face from the tip of the nose to Hn® OARS OWE GAP 6 oc oe
MECAnG Ge) 1) ee eee eee. 4

Hypsiprymnus Cuniculus, Ogilby in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VI. p. 63.
Forest Rat, colonists of Van Diemen’s Land.

 

Tis species is a native of Van Diemen’s Land, and so far as | am aware is confined to that island; on this point,
however, from our imperfect knowledge of the zoology of Australia and the neighbouring islands, I cannot speak with
certainty.

For the two fine specimens from which my figures were taken I am indebted to the kindness of my esteemed friend
Ronald C. Gunn, Esq., now resident in Van Diemen’s Land, and who, as is well known, has largely contributed to our
knowledge of the natural productions of that island, zoological as well as botanical.

This species differs from Bettongia penicillata in many particulars, among the most striking of which are its much larger
size, the more lengthened form of its head, and the conspicuous white tuft at the extremity of the tail; from all the
other species of the genus yet discovered it offers still greater differences. Having compared my specimens with tn
‘n the collection of the Zoological Society, from which Mr. Ogilby took his description, and with another in the British
Museum, I am satisfied of their identity. In both the British Museum and Zoological Society’s specimen the extremity
of the tail and consequently the white tip is wanting ; hence the omission of this important character in Mr. Ogilby’s
description. _ . =

Although very generally distributed over the island of Van Diemen’s Land, the Tasmanian Jerboa K\angaroo 1s very

local, giving preference to the open, sandy or stony forest land rather than to the thick and humid brushes