﻿THE FLYING PHALANGERS. I07 



Belideus flaviventer^ Lesson, Nouv. Tabl. Regne Anim., Mamrn., 



p. 189 (1842). 

 Belideus /laviveniris, Bennett, Gatherings of a Naturalist, p. 150 



(i860). 



Characters. — Size large ; fur long ; nose large, naked, finely 

 granulated. General colour brown, variously marked with 

 orange and black ; chin and inner sides of wrists and ankles 

 blackish ; remainder of under-parts deep orange. Ears long, 

 narrow, naked internally, and at the tip externally, with a 

 prominent yellow patch along the posterior margin. Middle 

 line of back and upper surfaces of parachute dark brown ; 

 edges of parachute orange, except at its origin and insertion, 

 where it has a broad black fringe; feet black on upper surface. 

 Length of fore toes in the order 5, 4, 3, 2, i. Tail very long, 

 bushy, grey above, inferiorly orange, darkening to black at the 

 tip. Length of head and body about 12 inches; of tail 17 

 inches. 



Distribution. — Coast ranges of New South Wales and Victoria. 



Habits. — The following excellent account of the habits of this 

 species is given by Bennett, who had a young example in his 

 possession, which he succeeded in raising to maturity : — 



"The animal," this naturalist writes, "from the conformation 

 of its feet, is evidently intended to live in trees, and therefore, 

 when seen on the ground, has a very awkward waddling gait. 

 This is shown but seldom, and then only when it is obliged to 

 walk upon the level surface. When climbing up a tree it be- 

 comes more independent in character, and it regards the 

 spectator from the top of its perch in a very different manner. 

 It retires either between the forked branches or in the hollow 

 cavities of the tree during the day to sleep, and at night passes 

 from one to another by flying leaps, aided by its parachute-like 

 membrane, descending to the ground only from unavoidable 



