worn in ridges internally. The number of teeth appears, however, to be variable, and some have fifty-four and others less than fifty. The Myrmecobius, although it has the inflected condition of the lower jawbone and small marsupial bones, not more than half an inch in length, has no pouch. The young adhere to the mother’s nipples, and are protected by the comfortable fur and long hair of her body. The Banded Myrmecobius was first discovered by Lieutenant Dale, who procured a specimen whilst on an exploring expedition into the interior of the Swan River Settlement, about ninety miles to the south-east of the mouth of the river. Two specimens of this very elegant little animal were seen by Lieutenant Dale, both of which fled to hollow trees for shelter upon being pursued. The district in which they were found abounded in decayed trees and ant-hills; and, from some peculiarities in the dentition of the animal, combined with its extremely long and slender tongue, it became evident that its food was insects, and the softer and smaller species, for procuring which, by scratching up the earth, the strong fore feet and claws appeared to be adapted. Indeed, the peculiarities of structure, combined with the fact that the animal was found in the vicinity of ant-hills, suggested that its food, in all probability, consisted chiefly of Ants: and hence the generic name. As yet, however, we have no direct evidence that Ants form the chief food of the Myrmecobius, though it is stated, in Mr. Gould’s “Mammals of Australia,” that wherever this animal takes up its abode, there Ants are found to be very abundant. In the same work the following particulars of the habits of the animal are given from the pen of Mr. Gilbert:-- “I have seen a good deal of this little animal. It appears very much like a Squirrel when running on the ground, which it does in successive leaps, with its tail a little elevated, every now and then raising its body and resting on its hind feet. When alarmed, it generally takes to a dead tree lying on the ground, and before entering the hollow, invariably raises itself on its hind feet to ascertain the reality of approaching danger. In this kind of retreat it is easily captured; and when caught, is so harmless and tame as scarcely to make any resistance, and never attempts to bite. When it has no chance of escaping from its place of refuge, it utters a sort of half-smothered grunt, apparently produced by a succession of hard breathings. “The female is said to bring forth her young in a hole in the ground or in a fallen tree, and to produce from five to nine in a litter. I have not myself observed more than seven young attached to the nipples.” It is not nocturnal in its habits.