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THE FLYING PHALANGERS. 109 
evening and at night it is in full life and activity—not the dull, 
_ fifeless 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 liberty 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 gum-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 facility. 
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 
| 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 
