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DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW CUSCUSES (PHALANGER). 



By OLDFIELD THOMAS. 



I OWE to tlip kindness of Mr. Walter Rothschild tiie opportunity of examining 

 three examples of the genus Phalangrr lately received by him. One of these 

 is a Ph. maculatus from Waigiu, the second is too young for determination, while 

 the third, collected by Mr. W. Dohertyin the Obi group of islands, represents a very 

 distinct new species allied to the Pli. ornatus Gray from Gilolo (Halmahera). At 

 the same time I take the ojiiwrtunity of describing a new form of the Pli. orii-ntalis 

 group found by Mr. A. S. Meek on the island of St. Aignan's, Louisiade Archipelago. 

 The first of the two new species I projiose to name in honour of Mr. Rothschild, 

 to whom is due not only its discovery, but also that of the interesting Talaut Cuscus 

 {Phalanger melanotis) described in a previous part.* 



1. Phalanger rothschildi sp. nov. 



Most nearly allied to Pli. ornatux. Size comparatively small. Fur soft and 

 close. General colour uniform dark golden fulvous, not dissimilar to that on the 

 shoulders of a Morty Island male of Ph. ornatus, though not so bright as in the 

 male typical of that species; no white spotting on the body. Dorsal black line 

 distinct on crown, more or less obsolete on nape, reappearing on withers, and 

 disappearing on posterior back. Ears well haired externally, a spot at their outer 

 bases dull yellow ; their inner surface thinly haired marginally. Under surface 

 from chin to anus, and inner sides of limbs, ])ure sharjdy defined white, the hairs 

 white to their bases. Outer sides of limbs and furry basal portion of tail coloured 

 like back, but rather paler; the middle line of the tail below whitish. 



Skull closely similar .to that of Ph. ornatus in all essential characters, but 

 very markedly smaller. Teeth also quite the same as in that species, the canine 

 similarly touching i^ at its base and separated from it terminally. Middle ])remolar 

 present on each side, though very small; lower intermediate teeth three. 



Approximate dimensions of the type, a fully adult male, measured in skin: — 



Head and body 370 mm.; tail 310. 



Skull: distance from hinder end of temporal fossa to gnathion 51 (as compared 

 to 59 in the type of Ph. ornatus); greatest breadth 44*6; nasals, length 27'5, 

 greatest breadth 9-3; interorbital breadth 8-T; palate, length 36-6; oblique hori- 

 zontal length of last upper premolar 5 ; combined length of ms'"^ 12'8. 



Hab. Loiwuj, Great Obi, Moluccas. Coll. W. Doherty. 



Type.: stuffed in the Tring Museum; skull jiresented by Mr. Rothschild to the 

 British Museum. 



"Killed September 1897. Iris pale sepia: daws brownish white; naked part 

 of tail pale brown." — W. D. 



This striking little Cuscus may be readily distinguished from Ph. ornatus and 

 Ph. lulltdae by its uniform unspotted fur, its white belly, and small size. 



• Nov. ZOOL. V. p. 2, 1898. 



