Page:The mammals of Australia Gould vol 3.djvu/25



discovery of this rare Australian animal is due to the researches of the late Mr. Gilbert, who obtained a specimen during his sojourn at Port Essington on the Cobourg Peninsula in 1840; since that period a second example from the same locality has been sent to this country, and, as well as the former, deposited in the British Museum. It will be seen, by the synonyms above given, that I at first regarded this animal as a true Mus, and that I subsequently assigned it a place in the genus Hapalotis. I am, however, by no means satisfied that this is its right situation, and think it possible that, when a sufficient number of specimens have been received to justify the formation of a correct opinion upon the subject, it may be found desirable to constitute it the type of a new genus.

The following is a copy of my original description of the animal, published in the 10th Part of the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London:--

"Fur course and shaggy; on the upper parts of the body the shorter hairs are of a yellowish-brown colour, but the longer interspersed hairs, being numerous and of a black colour, give a deep general tint to those parts; the under parts of the body are of a rusty-yellow colour, tinted with brownish on the neck and chest, and having a more decided rust-colour on the abdomen; tail well clothed with lengthened hairs, especially on the apical half, where the scales are hidden by them; those at the point of the tail measure upwards of an inch in length; on this part they have a rusty hue, but on the remaining portions they are black."

The Plate represents the animal of the natural size.