404 Zoological Society. 



The most striking character in this species is the general deep hue 

 of the fur of the upper parts of the body and neck ; the colour may 

 be described as sooty grey, but having moreover a brownish tint ; the 

 whole upper surface and sides of the head are nearly black ; on the 

 sides of the body and outer side of the hind legs, at the base, a very 

 faint fulvous tint is observable ; a large space on the haunch is of the 

 same deep hue as the back ; the throat and chest are whitish, the 

 visible portion of the hairs on these parts being white ; at the base, 

 or next the skin, they are of a deep grey colour, and so are those on 

 the abdomen ; but here, though the hairs are tipped with white, the 

 grey tint shows itself to a greater degree. The ears are thickly 

 clothed with long white hairs on the inner side ; externally they are 

 pencilled with black and white, in about equal proportions, but at 

 the base they are clothed with the same dense fur as that of the head, 

 and this is black. The fore-legs, like the outer surface of the ears, 

 are pencilled with black and white, the black becoming more con- 

 spicuous towards the toes, which are covered with black hairs. The 

 hind-legs and tarsi are chiefly of a brown- white hue, but on the toes 

 there is a considerable admixture of black ; the hairs which cover the 

 nails and the sides of the toes are almost entirely black. The tail is 

 of the same colour as the body at the base, and has the apex black ; 

 the portion covered with black hairs is rather less than that clothed 

 with the paler fur. 



The following new Australian Mammals were also characterized 

 by Mr. Gould : — 



Belidea ariel. Bel. pallide cinerea, lined dorsali, a basi rostri 



fere usque ad basin caudce externa, circulo interrupto ad basin 



auris, membrandque laterali supra nigrescentibus, hac ad latera 



flavescenti-albd ; corpore subtus pallide flavo ; caudd gracili ad 



apicem nigra ; auribus mediocribus ; pedibus pallidis. 



unc lin. 

 Longitudo ab apice rostri ad caudee basin. ... 6 



■ cauda 7 



auris 8 



ab apice rostri ad basin auris .... 1 3 \ 



Two specimens of this species of Flying Phalanger were received 

 by Mr. Gould from Port Essington. In size and proportions it ap- 

 proaches most nearly to the Belidea breviceps, being considerably less 

 than the Petaurus sciureus of authors ; but it is readily distinguished 

 by its general pale colouring, and more especially by the pale yellow 

 tint of the under parts of the body. The tail is slender as in B. bre- 

 viceps, Waterh. ; the fore and hind-feet are of a pale yellowish hue in 

 one specimen ; in the other the fore-feet have a pale brownish tint : a 

 narrow black mark, commencing between the eyes, runs along 'the 

 back, and extends nearly to the root of the tail ; a narrow blackish line 

 surrounds the eyes, and a black ring encircles the base of the ears, but 

 is interrupted under the ear, which is sparingly clothed with minute 

 hairs, excepting at the base externally, where they are covered with 

 fur like that on the head, and which is of a black colour, forming a 



