Page:The mammals of Australia Gould vol 1.djvu/215

 Rusty-footed Antechinus.

Phascogale flavipes, Waterh. in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part 5. p. 75.

—— rufogaster, Gray, App. to Grey's Journ., vol. ii. p. 407.

Antechinus flavipes, Gray, List of Mamm. in Coll. Brit. Mus., p. 99.

Phascogale (Antechinus) flavipes, Waterh. Nat. Hist, of Mamm., vol. i. p. 415.

specific term of flavipes is scarcely an appropriate appellation for this animal, for, as will be seen on reference to the accompanying drawing, which, if not taken from the original type, was made from precisely similarly coloured specimens, the feet are of a deep rust-red, the yellowish red hue which suggested the name being only found in some specimens. Of all the Antechini yet discovered, the present is the most common; I observed it to be very abundant both in New South Wales and in South Australia, and remarked that specimens from both these countries presented little or no difference either in size or colour. Like most of the other species of the genus, this little animal inhabits the hollow branches of the large Eucalypti. I frequently saw it running over the fallen logs by the creek sides of the plains of Adelaide, and remarked that in New South Wales it affected similar localities, and exhibited similar actions and habits. Its progression over the boles of trees is effected by a succession of very quick jumps like those of the Common Squirrel, and it passes round and beneath the branches with equal facility. Besides being conspicuous for its rusty coloured feet, this species is distinguished by the colouring of the face, back of the head, shoulders, and upper part of the back being dark grey with yellowish hairs inter spersed, giving those parts a freckled appearance, while the lower part of the back and the thighs are more rufous. I could not observe any difference in the colouring of the sexes or of the young: in the relative size of the sexes, on the contrary, considerable difference exists, the adult female being always smaller than the male of the same age.

Fur moderately long and soft; general colour of the upper surface grey, tinted with fulvous on the lower part of the back; sides of the body washed with rusty yellow; under surface of the body and feet rusty yellow; chin, throat and chest whitish; tail black, freckled with yellow towards the base above, and rusty yellow beneath; tail clothed with short hairs, lengthened into a small tuft at the point.

The figures are of the natural size.