FOOD OF PHALANGERS 



give vent to a " groan." In captivity it is as a rule 

 amiable, the amiability being possibly associated with 

 stupidity. Sir Everard Home, however, the famous 

 surgeon and anatomist of the end of the eighteenth 

 and beginning of the nineteenth centuries, thought the 

 wombat not unintelligent though he agreed from per- 

 sonal observation as to its amiability. 



THE VULPINE PHALANGER 



The vulpine phalanger is not especially fox-like 

 in aspect though it has somewhat of the sharp-snouted 

 eagerness of that animal, toned down, however, by 

 marsupial stupidity. Trichosurus vulpecula (between 

 this name and Phalangista vulpina choice may be 

 made) has departed considerably from, or rather has 

 not nearly arrived at, the kangaroo type of structure. 

 Still there are numerous facts which show it to be allied 

 to the kangaroos. For instance the second and third 

 toes are bound together in a common integument as in 

 the leaping and long-tailed Diprotodont ; and it has 

 the same strong lower incisors which, however, it is 

 alleged, do not meet, and move upon each other in the 

 scissors-like way that has been recorded in the grazing 

 kangaroos. Trichosurus, in fact, is purely arboreal, 

 though it will at times descend to the ground ; on 

 these occasions it walks in a flat-footed and archaic 

 way. It is, however, most suited to a life in trees, and 

 it has as an aid to effective climbing, a prehensile 

 tail, so common a feature in tree-dwelling animals. It 

 chiefly affects the blue gum tree of its native Australia 

 and eats the leaves and shoots of that tree, occasionally 

 varying its diet, as is the way with many vegetable- 

 feeding animals marsupial and otherwise, with animal 

 food. In captivity small birds are enjoyed by it. It 

 is often called " opossum," but it has of course nothing 

 to do with the opossums of North and South America, 



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