THE CUSCUSES. 81 
Cuscuses, and may be characterised as follows — 
Tail well-developed, generally prehensile; muzzle short and 
broad; tongue not extensile 3 ho cheek-pouches; intestine 
provided with a large blind appendage or cecum; stomach 
simple ; teeth large. 
In the genus Pha/anger itself we find the following features 
distinctive: Size large or medium ; form stout ; fur thick and 
_ Woolly ; ears moderate or short. Front toes sub-equal, their 
| Telative lengths in the order 4, 3, 5, 2, 1; claws long, stout, 
| and curved ; soles of feet naked and striated, with large ill- 
_ defined pads. Tail strong, with its terminal portion naked, 
smocth or granulated, and prehensile. Teats four. 
Of the five species of Cuscuses, one is common to Northern 
_ Australia, New Guinea, and the Austro-Maylayan Islands, 
while the others are restricted to the two latter regions, ranging 
as far westwards as Celebes, Completely arboreal and mainly 
_ herbivorous in their habits, the Cuscuses are slow and sleepy 
animals, passing the day curled up among the foliage, and only 
| waking into activity with the approach of night. The different 
" species present a great amount of variation as regards size, colour, 
| and dentition, and are therefore not always easy to determine. 
: family under consideration is typically represented by the 
| 
| 
| 
| 
I. BLACK CUSCUS. PHALANGER URSINUS, 
| Phalangista ursina, Temminck, Monogr. Mamm., vol. i., p. I0 
fi) 
i) | (1827). 
| Cuscus ursinus, Lesson, Man. Mamnm, p. 219 (1827). 
|Phalanger ursinus, Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 195 
(1888), 
| Sexes similar; fur coarse and harsh 3 general colour dark 
brown or black. Nose naked, with the bare portion extending 
Da wedge-shaped form up the muzzle nearly to the level of 
| G 
i 
