This is the animal which has given the native name to the genus, and Mr. Gunn, who discovered the species, informed Mr. Waterhouse that it is common in many parts of Van Diemen’s Land, going by the name of Bandicoot. It is a burrower, and lives principally upon roots, and it likes the bulbs which are introduced from the Cape and elsewhere into gardens. It is about sixteen inches long, and has a slender muzzle, moderate-sized ears, and the under parts of the body are white, the rest being grey and pencilled with black and yellow, except behind, where it is blacker. There are four broadish white bands on this part. THE BANDED PERAMELES.[112] [Illustration: BANDED PERAMELES.] This is a pretty little Perameles with a body about a foot in length, and a tail of about four inches long. It has rather a sharp and long snout, rather large ears, which are broad at the base, and long and pointed at the tip. The fur is longish and harsh, and is pencilled with black and yellow in about equal proportions on the upper part of the body, there being a black ground colour on the hinder part of the back. There, however, there are three broad yellow-white bands, the foremost of which crosses the back. The feet and under parts are white, and the tail is of the same colour underneath, but black on the top. The feet are slender, and the hind ones have a rudimentary inner toe, naked beneath, in front, and at the heel. In the skeleton this inner toe has one or two phalanges, and a small tubercle without a nail is visible before the flesh is removed. It inhabits Southern Australia from east to west. This kind resembles the Bandicoot of Van Diemen’s Land on the other side of Bass Strait, and may be considered its representative. It is smaller than the Van Diemen’s Land species, but its tail is longer; moreover, the ear exceeds those of the insular forms in size. Like the other Perameles, the pouch for the young opens backwards. “Though provided with strong claws it rarely burrows,” says Mr. Krefft, “and it is a great enemy to little Rodents. It tumbles the Mice about with its fore paws, breaks their hind legs, and eats the head.” New Guinea contains a short-legged Perameles,[113] which appears to be deficient in the usual number of upper incisor teeth; and another[114] resembling the common Bandicoot. GENUS CHŒROPUS.--THE PIG-FOOTED PERAMELES.[115]