MAMMALIA. 4 1 5 



The genus Phalangista has a prehensile tail, and for the sake of conve- 

 nience may he divided into four sections. In the first, Cuscus, the basal 

 portion of the tail only is covered with hair ; the ears are short, almost hid- 

 den by the fur of the head, and the eyes with vertical or nearly vertical 

 pupils. The species of this section are of moderate size, and have a dense 

 fur more or less woolly in its texture. They are confined to the islands of 

 Celebes, Amboyna, Banda, Waigiu, Timor, New Guinea, and New Ireland. 

 In Trichosurus the tail is densely clothed with fur, with the exception of a 

 part of the under surface commencing at the point, and more or less 

 extended towards the root of the tail ; ears distinct, usually long ; eyes 

 with the pupil round. Fore feet normal. The species of this section 

 inhabit x\ustralia. The section Pseudochirus includes the species with 

 the two inner toes^ the fore-foot separated from, and partially opposed to, 

 the other three ; tnPtail clothed, excepting at the apex beneath, with short 

 adpressed Jiairs ; the ears short and rounded ; and with six molar teeth, 

 forming a continuous series, on either side of the upper jaw. Inhabits 

 Australia. In Dromicia the ears are moderate, nearly naked, and folded ; 

 toes with the nails small ; tail covered with small adpressed hairs, except- 

 ing at the base where it is covered with fur like that of the body, naked 

 beneath at the extremity. Small species, inhabiting Australia and Van 

 Diemen's Land. 



A fossil species of Phalangista, agreeing in its general features with P. 

 vulpina, has been discovered in the caverns of Wellington Valley. 



The genus Petauriis, or fiying phalangers, is composed of those Phalan- 

 gistidae provided with a membrane extending from the fore to the hind 

 legs, and filhng the interspace of these legs ; the tail is well clothed with 

 hair throughout, and generally very long. In the section Petaurista the 

 ears are broad, rather short, rounded, and densely clothed with long fur on 

 the outer surface ; the toes of the fore feet nearly equal in length ; the 

 flank membrane extending only to the elbow joint ; with seven well 

 developed molar teeth in the upper jaw and six in the lower. The true 

 molar, provided with pyramidal cups. The petauri are nocturnal in their 

 habits, and hide during the day in the hollows of trees. In Belideus the 

 ears are long and nearly naked ; the tail bushy ; ihe lateral membrane 

 extending to the outer finger ; the two outer fingers of the hand are long 

 and equal to each other, or very nearly so ; the second and third fingers 

 distinctly shorter than these ; the second the shortest of the two latter, and 

 the inner, or first finger, very short. The Acrohata have a tail moderately 

 long, clothed above and beneath with short adpressed hairs, and fringed on 

 either side with long hairs ; the ears are moderate, well clothed externally 

 with fine hairs ; the feet provided with small claws, the thumb of the hind 

 foot is large, the flank membrane scarcely extending to the wrist. The 

 type of this section is the pigmy flying opossum {A. pygmceus). 



The genus Tarsipes includes a very remarkable species (T. rostratus) 

 from the western coast of Australia, resembling the phalangista in dentition, 

 only with the difference that the teeth are in rather a rudimentary condi- 

 tion. The head is elongated, the snout pointed as in some Peramelidae. 



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