H3 2 



THE POUCHED MAMMALS, OR MARSUPIALS 



near its root, and the fur very soft. The general color is a delicate ashy gray- 

 but a longitudinal black band commencing near the nose runs down the back to 

 stop short of the root of the tail. The eyes are ringed with black; the ears are black 

 at the base externally but white at the hinder angle; the cheeks are white, save for 

 a black patch immediately below the ear; while the chin, under parts, and edges of 

 the flying membrane are also white. The tip of the tail is black, and there is a 

 black line on each side of the flying membrane internally to the white margin. 



The following excellent account of the habits of the yellow flying phalanger (/*. 

 australis}, from mountain districts in New South Wales and Victoria, is given by 



SQUIRREL FLYING PHALANGER 

 (One-third natural size.) 



Gould, who says that "this animal is common in all the bushes of New South 

 Wales, particularly in those which stretch along the coast from Port Phillip to More- 

 ton bay. In these vast forests, trees of one kind or another are perpetually flower- 

 ing, and thus offer a never-failing supply of the blossoms upon which it feeds; the 

 flowers of the various kinds of gums (eucalyptus), some of which are of great mag- 

 nitude, being the principal favorites. Like the rest of its genus, it is nocturnal in 

 its habits, dwelling in holes and in the sprouts of the larger branches during the 

 day, and displaying the greatest activity at night while running over the small leafy 

 branches, frequently even to their very extremities, in search of insects and the 



