PETAURUS 33 



chest, belly, and inner side of limbs white or pale yellow. Three 

 black stripes above, the median one from the occiput along the 

 back and tail, broadest centrally ; the lateral stripes commencing 

 on the sides of the snout passing along the neck and back, and 

 sending off-shoots downwards in front of the shoulder, and along 

 the limbs to the hands and feet, which are brown. Soles finely 

 granulated. Pads large, rounded, and finely striated, except the 

 carpal pad, which is narrow, smooth, and unstriated. Terminal 

 third of tail wholly black, or with a prominent white tip ; its 

 naked part more than an inch in length. 



Dimensions. Head and body about twelve inches ; tail about 

 thirteen inches. 



Habitat. Central Queensland to Waigiou. 

 References. Thomas, B. M. Catal. p. 160, pis. xvii. fig. 1 

 (hand) ; xxi. fig. 1 (sole showing pads) ; Gould, Marnm. Austr. i. 1 



Genus VII. PETAURUS, Shaw (1791). 



Size medium or small. Fur very soft and silky. Ears fairly 

 large, oval, nearly naked. Flanks with a broad flying-membrane. 

 Fore toes evenly lengthening outwardly, the fifth being the longest 

 in the larger species, the fourth in the smaller. Claws very 

 strong, sharp, and much curved. Tail long, evenly bushy every- 

 where. Sexual crown- and chest-glands present. 



T\ t-t- r !- 2 - 3 n ! T> 1-0.3.4 Tt/r 1.2.3.4 T a , A ., O Af\. 



Dentition. L j-^, C. ^ P. j-^-j, M. j-^ = 

 Habits. Arboreal ; phytophagous. 



1. PETAURUS AUSTRALIS, Shaw (1791). 

 Yellow-bellied Flying-Opossum. 



Size large. Fur long. Rhinarium large, naked, finely granu- 

 lated. General color above brown, variously marked with orange 

 and black ; below, chin and inner sides of wrists and ancles 

 blackish ; rest of under surface deep orange. Ears long, narrow, 

 naked inside and terminally outside, with a prominent yellow 

 patch along the posterior margins. Median line of back and 

 upper surface of parachutes dark brown ; edges of the latter 

 orange, except near its origin and insertion where it is broadly 

 fringed with black. Hands and feet above black. Palms and 

 soles naked and finely striated, the pads broad, rounded, ill-defined. 

 Length of fore toes as follows 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Tail very long, 

 very bushy, gray above ; below at the base orange, darkening to 

 black at the tip. Mamnue two 1 ? 



Dimensions. Head and body about twelve inches ; tail about 

 seventeen inches. 



Habitat. Coast ranges of New South Wales and Victoria. 



