BETTONGIA RUFESCENS, Gray.

Rufous Jerboa-Kangaroo.

Spec. Char.—Bett. vellere aspero ; colore incanescenti-cinereo, et rufo, hoc apud dorsum prevalente ; corpore subtus e@ cine-
reo albo, fulvo tincto ; auribus externe nigris, interne fulvescenti-albis.

Descr.—Fur harsh and wiry ; general colour grizzled-grey and rufous, the latter predominating on the back; ears black
externally and buffy white internally; under surface greyish white slightly tinged with buff; tail strongly pre-
hensile, covered with short wiry grizzly-grey hairs, becoming whiter towards the tip, where they are much
lengthened ; under side of the tail, throughout its whole length, dirty white; hands grey; nails white; tarsi
and feet dark greyish brown.

feet. inches.

Length from the nose to the extremity ofthe tail . ...... 2 8
“ OleGalle eye ee 2
55 ,, tarsus and toes, including the nail . 6
Bs Seer caevayecdin linea TG appt e111 oa eno cU a 3
5 ,, face from the tip of the nose to the base of the ear 31
ie sy Cole It

Bettongia rufescens, Gray in Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. 1. New Series, p. 584.
Hypsiprymnus melanotis, Ogilby in Proc. of Zool. Soc. (May 1838) Part VI. p. 62.

 

Tuis is a very common animal in New South Wales, where it inhabits sterile and low stony ridges, particularly such as
are thinly covered with scrub and grasses. It appears to be almost universally dispersed over the face of the country,
from the coast to the ranges; I also obtained a single example on the borders of the Namoi, but I have never seen it in
collections from any other of the Australian colonies, and I believe it to be confined to the southern and eastern portions
of the continent. It is a robust little animal, and as the structure of the fore-feet and claws would lead us to infer, ob-
tains the greater portion of its food by scratching ; shallow holes and small excavations, apparently formed for the purpose
of procuring roots, being abundant in the districts in which it is found. It constructs a warm nest of grass in which it
lies coiled up during the day, and which is frequently placed under the shelter of the branch of a fallen tree, or at the
foot of some low scrubby bush. It also sometimes reposes in a seat like the Hare-Kangaroo, but never sits out on the
open plains like that species. On being startled it runs for a short distance with remarkable rapidity; but from the
circumstance of its invariably seeking shelter in the hollow logs, from which it is readily cut out, it falls an easy prey to
the natives, who hunt it for food.

Independently of its larger size, which is equal to that of a full-grown rabbit, the Rufous Jerboa-Kangaroo may be
easily distinguished from every other species of the genus by the wiry character of its fur, the rufous hue of the back,
and the black colouring of the hinder part of the ears.

The food consists of various kinds of roots and grasses.

The sexes present little difference either in size or colouring.