102 Mr. Gunn's Notices of some Mammalia 



hardly know how it could have been ascertained, unless the 

 fish had been previously caught and given to one, when, like 

 many carnivorous quadrupeds, it is probable it would eat them. 

 Deductions are frequently too hastily drawn by naturalists 

 (or persons professing to be such) from isolated facts. That 

 the Thy 1 acinus may often be seen on the sea-coast, as also 

 every other species of our quadrupeds, is quite probable, 

 and may once or twice have been seen eating a dead fish 

 thrown up by the sea ; but as to its fishing, it is out of the 

 question. 



2. (Phalangista Cookii ?) is common near Launceston, and 

 is there usually called Ring-tail Opossum as a specific name. 

 All the opossums come out of the holes of the trees, in which 

 they usually sleep all day, about twilight ; and for an hour or 

 two after sunset they may be seen busily employed eating the 

 leaves of the various species of Eucalypti : on the branches on 

 moonlight nights they are usually shot, and opossum shooting 

 is sometimes fine sport where a few join together. Orchards 

 in country places suffer sometimes from the opossums eating 

 all the leaves and young branches. 



3. (Phalangista Vulpina.) — The habits of this species are de- 

 scribed under No. 2. It is the most common species near 

 Launceston, and there usually called Brush-tail Opossum. 



9. (Phalangista fuliginosa, Ogilby?) — Iris reddish brown. It 

 is the kind from Circular Head, and some specimens attain a 

 size fully as large as No. 3. At Circular Head I have seen 

 neither Nos. 2 or 3. A small species of Phalangista (Phalan- 

 gista nana, Geoff. ?) exists in Van Piemen's Land about the 

 size of a large mouse ; but although I have seen some alive in 

 the possession of gentlemen, I have been unable to procure a 

 specimen. No species of Petaurus, or flying opossum, exists in 

 Van Diemen's Land, although one species, P. sciureus, is 

 abundant at Port Philip and along the south coast of New 

 Holland. 



6. Perameles Gunnii, Gray. Bandicoot. — The bandicoots 

 are very numerous everywhere; they burrow in the ground 

 universally as far as I have seen, and live principally on roots. 

 I knew one gentleman's entire collection of Cape bulbs, prin- 

 cipally Babianea, eaten by them, and I suffered considerably 



