﻿THE FLYING PHALANGERS. IO9 



evening and at night it is in full life and activity— not the dull, 

 lifeless animal seen during the day. When in its cage, it turns 

 over and over the perch, is very restless, climbs up on the bars, 

 and is in incessant action ; when set at hberty it mounts to the 

 highest part of any object in the room, and seems then quite 

 independent, and in a happy and contented state of mind. 



'*It was fed upon milk, raisins, and almonds ; indeed, sweets 

 of all kinds, in the form of preserved fruits especially, as well 

 as loaf-sugar, met with its approbation ; it licked the sweets, 

 and devoured the pulp only of the preserved fruits, leaving the 

 skins. It appeared a very small eater, but fattened and throve 

 well. In its wild state it feeds upon the honey of the eucalypti 

 or sum-trees, as well as on the tender shoots and seeds. No 

 doubt insects form a portion of its diet." 



After certain observations regarding the pelage and general 

 appearance of these pretty little animals, the writer goes on to 

 say that "the blacks capture them for food, and having pre- 

 pared them by singeing the fur, cook them with the skins on, 

 which gives the meat a more delicate and juicy flavour ; but by 

 the colonists they are valued only for their fur, which, for 

 delicacy and beauty, almost equals that of the chinchilla. This 

 animal traverses the tops of the trees, and passes to the ex- 

 tremity of the outermost branches with the greatest facihty. 

 When leaping, it is observed always to ascend a little at the 

 termination of the leap, by which the shock received in coming 

 from a great height is broken. 



" My captured specimen escaped one night from its place of 

 confinement, and was seen in one of the uppermost branches 

 of a lofty weeping-willow tree, quietly reposing between one of 

 the forks of the larger branches. A boy was sent to climb up 

 the tree to come upon the animal when asleep. By creeping 

 up cautiously he approached the creature without being seen 

 or heard, and succeeded in seizing it by the tail, threw it down 



