22 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 



A NEW PHALANGER FROM NORTH 

 QUEENSLAND. 



By Heber A. Longman. 



PSEUDOCHIRUS (HEMIBELIDEUS) CERVINUS, s P . nov. 



Through the kindness of Mr. E. J. Holyoake, the Queensland Museum 

 received in April last the skin of a female " fawn-coloured opossum" from the 

 dense scrubs of the Atherton Tableland. This differed so markedly from all 

 known forms that it was noted as new. The sender had recognised it as a very 

 rare animal, stating that residents in the district for thirty years had heard of it 

 from the blacks as being very uncommon and only procurable in the one locality. 

 Unfortunately, the skull of the first specimen was not available, but, in response 

 to requests from the Director, Mr. Holyoake promised to do all in his power to 

 obtain another. To his efforts we are now indebted for a second skin (male) and 

 an accompanying skull. 



This very handsome Phalanger belongs to the subgenus Hemibelideus, 

 which Collett rightly established in 1884 for the reception of Pseudochirus 

 lemuroides with its comparatively short and broad skull. 1 Externally, however, 

 its general appearance is so very distinct from Collett 's species that cranial 

 divergencies were also anticipated. Although these to be noted are by no means 

 remarkable, it must be remembered that Oldfield Thomas 2 and Collett have 

 placed on record the striking cranial affinities of some species of Pseudochirus, 

 and also of P. lemuroides itself to the so-called Flying Phalanger, Pctaurus 

 volans, Kerr. 



Form and dimensions similar to P. lemuroides, but the tail is equal in 

 length to both head and body. Fur long, fine, soft and silky, nowhere adpressed, 

 also long on the limbs and tail and even sparsely covering the dorsal surface of 

 the claws. Colour uniform fawn above, below and on limbs, with the exception of 

 the lumbar region, which is decidedly lighter, and the head ; the distal portions of 

 the hairs are glossy, but the proximal parts are silver gray. Head much lighter 

 from the nuchal region forward; throat and chest scarcely varying from dorsal 

 colouring. Ears almost naked inside, long-haired on the posterior part of their 

 hinder surfaces ; 20 mm. in length but not projecting much beyond the long fur. 



Collett, P.Z.S., 1884, p. 385. Collett, Zool. Jahrb., 1887, p. 923. 

 2 Oldfield Thomas, B.M.C. Marsupialia, 1888, p. 185. 



