Page:The mammals of Australia Gould vol 1.djvu/243

, Gould.

Thick-tailed Podabrus.

Phascogale crassicaudata, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XII. p. 105.

specimen only of this curious little Marsupial has as yet come under my notice. This was sent me from Western Australia by Mr. Gilbert, who procured it at the Military Station on William's River. The following notes which accompanied the specimen comprise all that is at present known respecting the animal:—

"I regret to say that I have been unable to procure any information whatever respecting the habits and economy of this very curious species. It was brought into the station by a domestic cat, which is constantly in the habit of going into the bush and returning several times during the night with a small mammal or bird in her mouth; and by this means I obtained it fortunately uninjured. The most striking and singular character of this pretty little animal is the form of the tail, which it was quite impossible to skin without making an incision throughout its entire length; when the skin was removed the fat presented precisely the same appearance as that of the tail of the Beaver. From the circumstance of none of the natives recognising it, I am induced to believe it to be a very rare species. Before it was skinned its entire length was 5⅝ inches; tail, 1$13⁄16$; from the nose to the ear, ⅞; from the nose to the eye, ½; ear, ¾. The eyes were black, full and prominent."

Upper surface grey with a wash of yellow, and on the sides of the body distinctly tinted with reddish buff; under parts and feet pure white; tail much swollen, especially in the middle, and clothed throughout with very minute pale hairs; ears externally dark brown, with a patch of buff at the tip; internally flesh-colour clothed with minute pale hairs.

The figures represent the animal in two positions of the natural size; the specimen from which they were drawn now forms part of the collection at the British Museum.

The beautiful little flowering plant (Calectaria cyanea) represented in the drawing is very common in many parts of Western Australia.