Phalangista papuensis, Desmarest, Mamm., Suppl., vol. ii., 
541 (1822), 
Cuscus maculatus, Lesson and Garnot, Voyage Coquille, Zool., 
. vol. i., p. 150 (1826), 
| Phalanger maculatus, Thomas, Cat, Marsup. Brit. Mus. p. 
197 (1888), 
\ 
| THE CUSCUSES. 83 
| p 
} 
| Sexes usually different, the females being larger than the 
| males. Size large ; fur soft 3 top of muzzle above nose thinly 
( covered with hair ; ears small, thinly clothed on both sides with 
soft woolly hair. General colour consisting of various combina- 
_ tions of white, rufous, and black ; under-parts white tinged with 
yellow or rufous ; tail generally deep yellow, furry from one-half 
to three-quarters of its length above, and from one-third to one- 
half beneath. Length of head and body about 26 inches; of 
| tail 19 inches. The yellow colour of the base of the tail will 
"serve to distinguish the dark varieties of this species from the 
_ preceding, in which the same region is dark like the body ; 
‘these two species being the only members of the genus in which 
| the ears are thickly haired both externally and internally, 
_ _ Distribution—Northern Australia, in the Cape York district, 
, Southern New Guinea, and the Austro-Malayan Islands, east- 
wards from Saleyer, but unknown in Celebes, the Southern 
, Moluccas, or the Halmahéra group. 
As a rule, the females are generally grey and black, while the 
‘males are usually spotted, although sometimes they resemble 
jthe ordinary grey female, with the exception of having a few 
jindistinct whitish spots on the back and flanks. From this 
\form there is a gradual transition to one in which the fur is 
Nearly wholly white, save for a few dark spots. Other males 
‘Assume a more or less decided red tinge ; the rufous tint some- 
fimes occupying only a part or the whole of the portions of the 
fur which are usually dark, but in other cases suffusing those 
G2 
