1426 



THE POUCHED MAMMALS, OR MARSUPIALS 



In young animals there are two milk-molars in advance of the first molar in each 

 jaw; and between the first of these and the functional front teeth there occur sev- 

 eral minute teeth in each jaw, very variable in number and quite useless, which it is 

 impossible to name correctly, several of these rudimentary teeth usually persisting 

 throughout life. While some of the phalangers are mainly or exclusively herbivo- 



THE LONG-SNOUTED PHALANGER. 



(Two-thirds natural size.) 



(After Gould.) 



rous, others are more or less omnivorous; and it is in this family alone among Mar- 

 supials that we meet with species endowed with the power of spurious flight. 



The elegant little creature known as the long-snouted phalanger 



"p'h *\ r ( Tarsipes rostratus] , may be compared in form and size to the common 



shrew; and it is the sole representative of a special subfamily of the 



phalangers. In spite, however, of this superficial resemblance to a shrew, the crea- 



