﻿The striped phalangers. 103 



cr entirely insectivorous. Others consider, however, that they 

 are leaf-eaters, Hke the rest of their tribe ; but as a matter of 

 fact, beyond the circumstance that they are arboreal, nothing 

 definite appears to have been ascertained as to the habits of 

 these pecuHar Phalangers. 



I. STRIPED PHALANGER. DACTYLOPSILA TRIVIRGATA. 



Daclylopsila trivirgata, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1858, p. 11 1 ; 



Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 160 (1888). 

 Dactylopsila albertisi^ Peters and Doria, Ann. Mus. Genov., 



vol. vii., p. 542 (1875). 

 Phalangista ( Dactylopsila ) angustivittis^ Peters and Doria, 



op. cit., vol. xvi., p. 674 (t88i). 



Characters. — Fur close, thick, and woolly, but rather harsh. 

 General colour white with black stripes ; chin with a black 

 spot ; under-parts and inner sides of limbs white or pale 

 yellow. The upper surface with three black stripes, the middle 

 one running from the back of the head along the tail, widest 

 centrally ; the two lateral ones commencing on the sides of the 

 muzzle, passing along the neck and back, and sending branches 

 downwards in front of the shoulders, and along the limbs to 

 the brown feet. Soles of feet finely granulated ; the pads, save 

 the one on the wrist, which is narrow and smooth, large, 

 rounded, and finely striated. Terminal third of tail either 

 wholly black or with a white tip, its naked portion more than 

 an inch in length. Length of head and body about 12 inches ; 

 of tail 13 inches. 



Distribution. — Central Queensland to New Guinea, and Aru 

 Islands. 



II. MILNE-EDWARDS' STRIPED PHALANGER. DACTYLOPSILA 



PALPATOR. 



Dactylopsila palpator, Milne-Edwards, Centenaire Mem. Soc. 

 Philom. t888, p. 173*. 



