Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-25
AUSTRALIANS BLIND MARsUprAL.
In Some Respects He IL Entirely Unique in
the Animal Kingdom.

In Some Respects He IL Entirely Unique In
the Animal Kingdom.
From the Saturday Review
1t was reported . little time ago in some o,
our newspapers that during Lord Kintore's
journey across the Neutrality-suspicious. say The
COMMUNICATION the northern territory, which
belongs to south Australia, to Adelaide, . very
singular marsupial was discovered. There wal
very Little more about it, and q fully detailed
account has been looked for with interest. Tha,
account is to be found in the transactions Of the
Royal Society Of South Australia. DR.. Stirling,
VINO accompanied the governor in his long ride
10 no doubt an excellent naturalist and has
spared no pains in dissecting the strange animal
and counting all Its teeth and bones.
proposed at first to call it something nearly as
long again, but found he was forestalIed. "a
some presumably still smaller animal already
bore that appellatlon. DR.. Stirling, having
named his beast, proceeds to tell rs how he en-
countered MIN. 1t seems that he was first OBJ
served by Mr.. Bishop at a place almost in the
center of Australia called fdracowra. Subse-
quently another gentleman, Mr. Benham, for
warded specimen to Adelaide, where it was re-
celved by the learned with much curiosity
Finally. DR.. Stirling, in company with Lord
Kintore. passed near Idracowra-how near we
do not know, but 500 or 900 miles is near in
a 6DeCl-
men or two to meet him. and, what is almost as
important, brought also description of one
which lived measurable time in captivity, but
appears to have died Of fright in q thunder
storm. Furthermore, there was an account of
one which burrowed it's way underground with
such rapidity as to elude the most instant and
careful search. Lastly, the native name was
acquired, Dor quamate, and the fact that the
creature is regarded by the blacks with super
stitious awe.
1t is we'll known, Of course, that, besides the
marsupials with which we are best acquainted,
such as the kangaroos and wallabies, Australia
boasts Of animals which resemble SQUIRRELS
some OF them very closely; Of others which are,
both in appearance and morals. y cry like wolves
but striped like tigers of bears which have ac-
CURED such a character that hey are locally
known as dis. Other queer forms there be,
but the Motorcycles surpasses them all, for he
Is marsupial mole. One reason he has not
been discovered sooner is that during the
greater part Of his life he is underground And
this fact also accounts for the most extraordi-
nary feature described by DIR. Stirling, who
mentions 1t quite incidentally, and as if it is
not the most wonderful feature among all the
wonderful features OF the Australian marsupials.
1t is absolutely blind. Mature, when she made
the face, forgot to dot the eyes,"
Rudimentary eyeballs may be found, as in the
Adelsburg Proteus, by dissection, but they are
unconnectcd with the optic nerve, which also
exists In documentary stage. No other quad
ruped is known to possess this peculiarly.
Otherwise Motorcycles somewhat resembles a
mole, but his hair is longer and sandy in color
There Is one thing more to be noted about
the sand mole. We have spoken of it as a mar
supial. If any one looks at a kangaroo, he can
see that the pouch is in front, and, especially
when it is occupied, hangs well, and rather
loosely open. Now, If we could imagine that it
was the habit Of the kangaroo to discard the use
Of legs. to go about upon that part Of its person
where the pouch is found, and to use its nose
for burrowing into loose sand heaps, it does not
require much imagination to show that the
pouch must always be scraping up sand. to the
great inconvenience Of the occupant but the
pouch of the Motorcycles is turned the other
way up The parent mole may scrape along as
it pleases, with its horny nose and its digging
claws, through all its sandy burrows, and not
grain need enter the pouch. We must hope
before long to have better accounts and posi-
bly, specimen or two of this singular animal.