. An introduction to zoology : for the use of high schools . ia instead of the Eutheria, and, therefore, that thissub-class was at one time much moie widely distributed than itnow is. 162 HIGH SCHOOL ZOOLOGY. A great Vcariety of forms occurs among the Australian Marsupials, Thereare some like the Tasmanian devil (DasjarHs), or like the native clog,(Thi/lachius) which are distinctly carnivorous in their habits; otherfruit-eating forms which are arboreal, and are adapted for their modeof life by the possession of a long prehensile tail, or even, as in the caseof the Hying phalangers (PlialaiKjis
. An introduction to zoology : for the use of high schools . ia instead of the Eutheria, and, therefore, that thissub-class was at one time much moie widely distributed than itnow is. 162 HIGH SCHOOL ZOOLOGY. A great Vcariety of forms occurs among the Australian Marsupials, Thereare some like the Tasmanian devil (DasjarHs), or like the native clog,(Thi/lachius) which are distinctly carnivorous in their habits; otherfruit-eating forms which are arboreal, and are adapted for their modeof life by the possession of a long prehensile tail, or even, as in the caseof the Hying phalangers (PlialaiKjista), of a patagium like our flyingsquirrels ; again, there are herbivorous forms like the kangaroos (), in which-the fore legs are extremely short, the hind limbs chieflyused in locomotion and the toes reducecl in number, and, Anally, there areforms (Phascolomys) with gnawing teeth like the beavers, which areassociated with similar methods of securing food. Such features as theabove are evidently adapted to the habits of the creatures, but there are. Fig. 108. Giant Kansraroo. (Halmaturus giyanteus). -^ certain underlying stractural peculiarities common to the whole groupapart from those refered to in § 2. The dentition e. g., is not refer-able to the same type as that of the higher Mammalia, the teeth beingmuch more numerous ; the tendency to union of different tracts of skull-bones (§ 6), is not so well-marked, and the angle of the lower jaw boneis turned in, in a characteristic way, which has assisted in the identi-fication of the fossil remains of this nature. HIGH SCHOOL ZOOLOGY. 1G3 19. When we finally study the group of the higher mammalsor Eutheria, we find a wondeiful diversity of form in the differ-ent orders, depending on their habits and methods of aberrant orders may fiist be referred to, which occupy asomewhat isolated position in the sub-class. Of these theBruta or Edentata is a very heterogeneous order, embracing tlu-ant-eaters of the
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