﻿88 Allen's naturalist's library. 



Widely different in the structure of its skull and teeth from 

 the following genus, the present one, remarks Mr. Thomas, is 

 " not easily definable externally. Its fore feet appear, how- 

 ever, to be of more normal construction than in PseudodM-i-is ; 

 its tail is more densely haired terminally, although in this cha- 

 racter it is 2i^Y^ro?ic\\Qdihy Fseudochirtis Iemu7'oides', and inmost 

 specimens the discoloration of fur caused by the chest-gland 

 forms an easy method of recognising its members." 



L COMMON PHALANGER. TRICHOSURUS VULPECULA. 



Didelpkis vulpecula, Kerr, Linn. Anim. Kingdom, p. 198 (1792). 

 Didelphis vulpina^ Meyer, Uebers. Zool. Entd. Neuholl., p. 23 



(1793)- 

 rhalangista vulptna, Desmarest, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., vol. 



XXV., p. 475 (1817). 



Trichdsurus vulpecula^ Jentink, Notes Leyden Mus., vol. vii., 



p. 21 (1884); Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 187 



(1888). 



{Plate XI.) 



Characters. — Size small ; fur close, thick, and woolly. General 

 colour clear grizzled grey ; chin more or less blackish ; under- 

 parts white or dirty yellow, with a median rusty-red patch on 

 the chest in adults. Ears long and narrow, much longer than 

 broad, nearly naked inside, and near the tip externally. Feet 

 white, grey, or brown. Tail thick, cylindrical, and bushy, with 

 the terminal half or two-thirds grey, the end black, and the ex- 

 treme tip occasionally white ; the naked inferior portion from 

 three to six inches in length, and transversely wrinkled. Length 

 of head and body about 18 inches ; of tail 11 inches. 



Distribution. — The whole of Australia, with the exception of 

 the Cape York district. 



Variety. — The Tasmanian Phalanger (var. T. fuligtnos7is) is of 

 larger size and stouter and heavier build than the typical form, 



