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Show 1877.] MARSUPIALS F R O M D U K E - O F - Y O R K ISLAND. 125 This handsome Rat is most nearly allied to the species from Salawatti, recently described by Dr. Peters and the Marquis G. Doria as U. bruijni1 ; but it is about a third smaller, is more uniformly rufous in colour, and has the tail markedly shorter (instead of longer) than the head and body. All the other described species have long particoloured tails2. Dr. Peters, in his original characters of this genus3, says that the dentition is quite similar to that of Mus ; but one of the present specimens, having the teeth less worn than in his example of U. macropus, shows that the ridges of the molars are not definitely divided into tubercles. The viscera are almost exactly like those of the common Rat, except that the csecum is slightly more elongated. 3. PERAMELES DOREYANUS. Perameles doreyanus, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de l'Astrolabe, i. p. 100, Atlas, pl. xvi. The collection contains one skin of this well-known Papuan species. First discovered (but not systematically named) by Lesson and Garnot on the island of Waigiou4, it was afterwards found by Quoy and Gaimard at Dorey Harbour, New Guinea. According to Dr. Gray, specimens were sent by Mr. Wallace from the Aru Islands5; but the Perameles of that group has since been separated by Dr. Peters and the Marquis G. Doria as P. aruensis6; and the same authors have described two other allied species-P. rufescens from the Ke Islands7, and P. longicaudata from New Guinea8. 4. BELIDEUS ARIEL. Belideus arid, Gould, P. Z. S. 1842, p. 11. This pretty little Flying Phalanger is represented by an adult male and female in skin, and an immature male in spirit. In the female the extreme tip of the tail is white, doubtless an individual variety. As in other Papuan examples, there is a much broader dark mark round the eye than in the North-Australian specimens described by Mr. Gould9 ; but I do not think they can be specifically separated; and when a sufficient series from different parts of the continent of Australia are compared I suspect that this species will have to be united with the southern B. breviceps. The known range of this Phalanger is extensive. First described from North Australia, it has been found in New Guinea by S. Miiller, in Batchian and the Aru Islands by Wallace and Von Rosenberg, and in Halmahera by Bernstein. 1 Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, viii. p. 336 (1876). 2 Dr. A. B. Meyer lately indicated a new species from New Guinea under the name of TJ. papuanus (Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1876, xvii. p. 146), without giving any description. As he states, however, that it is nearly allied to U aruensis, Gray, it can hardly be the present animal. 3 Monatsb. Ak. Berlin, 1867, p. 343. i Voy. de la Coquille, i. pt. 1, p. 123 5 P. Z. S. 1858, p. 113. 6 Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, vii. p. 542. i Op. cit. p. 541. 8 Op. cit. viii. p. 335. 9 In the figure in the 'Mammals of Australia' (i. pl. xxvii.) no black mark whatever is shown; but a narrow black line is mentioned in the description. |