W »9 ‘IIX'MHieira MWAWJSdiAH
HYP S IPRYMNUS GILBERTI I , Gould.
Gilbert’s Rat Kangaroo.
Spec. Char.—Hyps, colore corporis mperne e cinereo.fusco, mgroque commixlis, linea mgrescente a rnso ducla cum colore
frontis se intermiscente ; corpore subtus e cinereo albo.
Descr.—General colour of all the upper surface mingled grey, brown and black; produced by the base o f the hairs
being grey, the middle portion brown and black; centre and lower part o f the back washed with reddish
brown; a blackish line commences at the nose and blends into the general colour on the forehead; all th.e under
surface greyish white; hands greyish brown; feet blackish brown; tail black, very thinly clothed with short
hairs.
feet, inches.
Length from the nose to the extremity of the t a i l ..................................... 1 10
| of t a i l .................................................................................................
„ „ tarsus and toes, including the n a i l ........................................... 3
„ „ arm and hand, including the n a i l s ............................................
„ „ face from the tip of the nose to the base of the ear . . . H
, j. ,, e a r .................................................................................................. ^
Hypsiprymnus Gilbertn, Gould in Proc. o f Zool. Soc., February 9, 1841.
Grul-gyte, Aborigines o f King George’s Sound, South Australia.
In its outward appearance this little animal closely resembles the Hypsiprymnus Minor, but on a comparison o f the
skulls of the two species a marked difference is observable, that o f the present having the nasal bone more produced or
swollen out at the sides; the tarsi and tail also are shorter in Gilbert’s than in the Hyp. Minor. These Hypsiprymm
are evidently analogues o f each other, the former being found only on the western coast, while the other is confined to
the eastern portions o f Australia.
The animal here represented was procured at King George’s Sound, where it is called Grul-gyte by the Aborigines.
In dedicating it to Mr. Gilbert, who proceeded with me to Australia to assist in the objects o f my expedition, and who
is still prosecuting his researches on the northern portion o f that continent, I embrace with pleasure the opportunity thus
afforded me of expressing my sense o f the great zeal and assiduity he has displayed in the objects o f his mission; and as
science is indebted to Mr. Gilbert for the knowledge o f this and several other interesting discoveries, I trust that, however
objectionable it may be to name species after individuals, in this instance it will not be deemed inappropriate.