﻿THE PIGMY FLYING PHALANGERS. II7 



body, the basal half-inch thickly furred, and the remainder 

 naked, save for the lateral fringes of long hairs. Length of 

 head and body nearly as in Dromicia nana^ but the tail about 

 half as long again. 



Distribution. — New Guinea. 



Although in size, coloration, and general appearance very 

 different, this little Phalanger is, as Mr. Thomas remarks, very 

 closely allied to the undermentioned Pigmy Flying Phalanger 

 as regards its skull and teeth, and may, indeed, be very close 

 to the ancestral form from which the latter was evolved. 

 Although far less specialised than its Australian ally, the 

 Papuan form, as in so many analogous instances, is the more 

 brilliantly coloured of the two animals. 



THE PIGMY FLYING PHALANGERS. GENUS ACROBATES. 

 Acrobates, Desmarest, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., vol. xxv.,p. 105 

 (1817). 



Size very small ; ears medium ; flanks with a narrow para- 

 chute-like expansion of skin ; toes of normal proportions, each 

 provided with a broad, striated, terminal pad; lengths of those 

 of the fore foot in the order 4, 3, 5, 2, i ; claws sharp and well- 

 developed, although not very prominent; tail as in Distcechurus. 

 Teeth as in the latter, except that the last premolar is larger, 

 and present in both jaws. Teats four. 



This genus is represented only by two species, one of which 

 is Australian and the other Papuan. 



I. PIGMY FLYING PHALANGER. ACROBATES PYGM/liUS. 



Didelphis pygmcea, Shaw, Zool. New Holland, vol. 1., p. 5 



(i794'- 

 Phalangista pygmcea^ Geoffr., Cat. Mus., p. 151 (1S03). 



