140 CUSCUS AND TRUE PHALANGERS CHAP. 



caecum extraordinarily long ; stomach with a cardiac gland ; liver 

 complicated by additional furrows, without a free caudate lobe ; 

 no azygos lobe to lungs : vaginal culs-de-sac free. 



The third sub -family, PHASCOLOMYINAE, contrasts with the 

 others as follows : Tail rudimentary ; cheek-pouches present, but 

 rudimentary; one incisor on each side above, but no additional 

 pre molars ; all the teeth rootless ; caecum not peculiar in shape ; 

 stomach with a cardiac gland ; liver complicated by secondary 

 furrows, without a free caudate lobe ; lung with an azygos lobe : 

 vaginal culs-de-sac free. 



The last sub -family, TARSIPEDINAE, is thus defined: Tail 

 long ; tongue extensile : only one premolar ; molars reduced ; 

 caecum absent. 



Sub-Fam. 1. Phalangerinae. The genus Phalanger embraces 

 five species, sometimes called by the generic name of Cuscus, They 



FIG. 69. Vulpine Fhalanger. Trichosurus mdpecula. x J. 



are largish animals with short ears ; only the end of the tail 

 is naked. Of these animals only one species is found in Australia 

 itself, the rest inhabiting the islands lying to the north. The 

 Spotted Cuscus, Ph. maculatus, is in spite of its vegetarian diet. 

 and perhaps on account of its spots, spoken of as the " Tiger 

 Cat." Mr. Aflalo remarks of it that though provided with a 

 prehensile tail, it is little better as a climber than the tailless 

 Koala. 



Trichosurus, including the " True Phalangers," includes largish 

 species, which can be distinguished from the last genus by a 

 chest-gland similar to that which occurs in Myrmecolius and 

 some other Marsupials of the present group. There are but 

 two species, which are purely Australian. The "Brush-tailed 

 Opossum," T. vulpecula (perhaps better known as Phalangista 



