122 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY, 
slightly serrated. The tail is prehensile, and is used when the 
animal is climbing, precisely like that of the Hefoona (Pseudo- 
chirus). The eyes, although small, are exceedingly prominent, 
and placed very near to each other ; the ears are generally quite 
erect. When sleeping, the animal rests upon the lower part of 
the back, with its long nose bent down between its fore feet, 
and its tail brought over all, and turned down the back. Mr. 
Johnson Drummond shot a pair in the act of sucking the 
honey from the blossoms of the A/e/a/euca ; he watched them 
closely, and distinctly saw them insert their long tongues 
into the flower precisely after the manner of the birds above 
mentioned.” 
Another observer—Neill—states that in the neighbourhood of 
King George’s Sound the Long-snouted Phalanger makes its 
nest in the overhanging foliage of the kingias and other large- 
leaved plants. In several examples described by him the 
stomach contained only a small quantity of clear honey-like 
fluid, thus confirming the statements of the natives that the 
animal in its wild state lives almost entirely by thrusting its ex- 
tensile tongue into the tubes of flowers for the sake of extract- 
ing their honey. Since nearly all the Australian flowers are 
honey-yielding, the creature would have no difficulty in obtain- 
ing nutriment in this manner throughout the year. 
THE WOMBATS. FAMILY PHASCOLOMYIDZ:, 
The third and last family of the Diprodont Marsupials is re- 
presented solely by the Wombats of Australia and Tasmania, 
all of which are included within the limits of a single genus. 
Heavily-made and short-limbed creatures, with incisor teeth 
curiously resembling those of the Rodent Mammals, the Wom- 
bats may be regarded as filling in Australia the place occupied 
