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Show 1866.] MR. G. KREFFT ON THE AUSTRALIAN DASYURID^E. 431 6. NOCTILIO LEPORINUS, Linne. 7. FURIA HORRENS, F. Cuv. 8. MOLOSSUS OBSCURUS, Geoffr. 9. VESPERTTLIO PARVULUS, Temminck. 4. O n the Classification of the small Dasyuridar of Australia, with Descriptions of T w o N e w Genera and O n e N e w Species. By G E R A R D K R E F F T , Curator and Secretary of the Australian Museum, Sydney, N e w South Wales, Corr. M e m b . (Plate XXXVI.) Few groups of animals have been so little understood as the small Marsupial Insectivores of Australia ; the difficulty in procuring a number of specimens of these nocturnal creatures, and the carelessness of some authors, who will not take the trouble to examine a species properly before assigning it a position in the genus to which it appears to belong, have caused a confusion which I will try to correct. The Marsupial Insectivora have hitherto been divided into three genera :-Phascogale (Temminck), Ant echinus (MacLeay), and Po-dabrus (Gould). Of these, only two, namely Phascogale and Ante-chinus, have been defined by their respective founders; while of Podabrus I cannot ascertain the true characters beyond what Mr. Waterhouse tells us, that it comprises the Phascogalar with slender feet. Whether this is sufficient for the establishment of a new genus without giving some information regarding the teeth of the animal, I ^k do not know ; but for the present it will perhaps be better to retain the genus. I now propose to divide these small Insectivores as follows :- P H A S C O G A L E , Temminck. Dasyuridse with the two foremost incisors of the upper and lower jaw larger than the others, with short broad feet, more or less naked tarsi, rather long and soft fur, and with five toes to each foot, the inner toe of the hind foot being a nailless prehensile thumb. Habits arboreal. Pouch absent. Mammae ten. Apical portion of tail clothed with long bushy hair. Dentition : - I . ^ 3 ; C. x~x; P 2=?. M . - = 4 6 . * • 3_3 ' 1™-1 4-4 ™* 1. P H A S C O G A L E PENICILLATA (Gould, M a m m . Austr. i. pi. 31). Hab. The coast districts from Swan River to N e w South Wales. 2. PHASCOGALE CALURA (ibid. pi. 32). Hab. The interior of Australia, from the Williams River to the Lower Murray, including Victoria, South Australia, and N e w South Wales. |