180 JOTTINGS FROM BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY, SYDNEY UNIVERSITY, 



The palmar is longus is a simple slender muscle in the specimens 

 of Fetaurista examined. It is double in the Phalanger in some 

 cases ; sometimes single. In the specimen of Cuscus dissected by 

 Cunningham it consisted of three parts. 



The flexor carpi ulnaru presents, as in most, though not all, 

 Marsupials, two heads of origin ; one from the internal condyle, 

 condyle, and the other from the olecranon. 



The flexor muscles of the digits in Petaurista and Phalangista as 

 in Cuscus, are all more or less closely amalgamated at their origin, 

 where they arise in a mass from the inner condyle and the proximal 

 parts of the ventral surface of the radius and ulna. The superficial 

 part of the common muscular mass gives off slender perforated 

 tendons to the four ulnar digits ; while the tendons from the deep 

 part are inserted into the terminal phalanges of all the digits. 

 This plan of arrangement of the flexor muscles of the digits seems 

 to be very general among the marsupials. (1) 



Muscles of the Posterior Extremity. 



The gluteus extemus consists in Petaurista, as in Cuscus and 

 Phalangista, of three parts, the hindermost part being the agitator 

 caudce, the middle part the gluteus maximus, and the anterior part, 

 according to Cunningham, having the nerve supply of the tensor 

 fascia femoris of other mammals. But besides these, Petaurista 

 possesses an additional muscle belonging to this series — a muscle 

 not represented in Phalangista or Cuscus, nor, so far as I am 

 aware, in any other Mammal. It is a ribbon-like muscle, situated 

 on the same plane as the adductor caudre ; it arises from the 

 seventh caudal vertebra, and, running over the biceps and 

 semitendinosus, is inserted into the distal end of the femur on its 

 outer aspect. A slender slip detached from it joins the agitator 

 caudal. It seems very probable that the development of this 

 peculiar muscle is connected with the special habits of the flying 

 phalanger; the name long femoro-caudal will serve to indicate its 

 connections without implying any theory of its functions. 



(1) Vide Macalister. L.c. 



