THE KOALAS. 79 
I. THE KOALA. PHASCOLARCTUS CINEREUS. 
Lipurus cinereus, Goldfuss, Isis, 1819, p. 274. 
Phascolarctos fuscus, Desmarest, Mamm., vol. i., p. 276 (1820). 
Phascolarctos koala, Gray, in Griffith’s Anim. Kingdom, p. 205 
(1827). 
Phascolarctos cinereus, Fischer, Syn. Mamm., p. 285 (1829) ; 
Thomas Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 210 (1880). 
(Plate X.) 
Characters.—General colour grey; under-parts white or yel- 
lowish-white. Nose thinly clothed with minute hairs; ears 
rounded, white, save the hairs on their hinder surface, which 
are black with white tips; rump dirty white, sometimes irregu- 
larly spotted; feet white. Length of head and body about 
32 inches. 
Distribution.—Eastern Australia. 
Habits.— Having a superficial resemblance toa srnall Bear, as 
is especially shown by the absence of a tail, the broad furry 
ears, short and wide head, and stout and short limbs, the Koala 
is commonly spoken of by the Australian colonists as the 
“Native Bear ;” while its sluggish habits have occasionally given 
rise to the title of “‘ Native Sloth.” Nevertheless, the creature 
is a true Marsupial, and also one of a most lazy and sluggish 
disposition, moving about on the stems of the gum-trees in the 
most deliberate manner, and feeding chiefly upon leaves and 
grasses. Its favourite haunts are the hollow stems of trees, 
| from which it issues forth by night, and occasionally also by 
day, in search of food. In the evenings, more especially 
_ during the autumn, one of these animals may frequently be 
observed crawling slowly along the topmost branches of some 
| giant Eucalyptus; while if it is a female, it is as likely as not 
_ to have its solitary offspring perched securely on its back. 
_ Always, apparently, a solitary creature, the Koala moves awk- 
