709 



MARS0PIATA. 



MARSUPIATA. 



710 



its course towards any given object. For this latter purpose they are 

 indeed but little fitted by their structure, the want of proper muscles 

 in a great measure incapacitating them from performing such offices 

 as are dependent on volition. It may be doubted however whether 

 these animals are entirely destitute of the power of exercising their 

 will in their flight-like leaps. For the following anecdote bearing upon 

 this subject we are indebted to our friend Mr. Broderip. who related 

 it to us on unquestionable authority. On board a vessel sailing off 

 the coast of New Holland was a Squirrel-Petaurus, which was per- 

 mitted to roam about the ship. On one occasion it reached the mast- 

 head, and as the sailor who was despatched to bring it down 

 approached, made a spring from aloft to avoid him. At this moment 

 the ship gave a heavy lurch, which, if the original direction of the 

 little creature's course had been continued, must have plunged it into 

 the sea. All who witnessed the scene were in pain for its safety ; but 

 it suddenly appeared to check itself, and so to modify its career that 

 it alighted safely on the deck." Those that we have seen in captivity 

 k are in a state of somnolency all day ; one kept at the Gardens in the 

 Regent's Park was formerly in the possession of the then Marchioness 

 of Cleveland. At night it was lively and active, and was perfectly 

 tame, but rather shy. The species inhabits New South Wales, and 

 is said to be abundant at the foot of the Blue Mountains. There 

 seems to be no authority for the locality of Norfolk Island as a 

 habitat of this very pretty little animal, excepting the figure and 

 description in Phillips's 'Voyage' above alluded to. The fur would be 

 liighly '>rnamental from its colour, softness, and beauty, as an article 

 of drew. 



Norfolk Island Fljing Squirrel (Petaurut iciumu). 



Phaseolarctoi, De Blainville (Llpurus, Gold. ; Amblotii, Illig.). Body 

 stout ; head short, ears shaggy ; limbs rather short, robust, and nearly 

 equal hi length ; toes five on each fore foot ; the anterior toes divided 

 into two groups for prehension, the thumb and the fore finger being 

 in one group, and the remaining three fingers in the other, the thumb 

 of the posterior foot very large, but without a nail, and the two inner 

 fingers united ; tail very short, almost null ; Mr. Martin says that it 

 differs from the Wombat in its dental formula, in which respect it 

 closely resembles the Kangaroos. Dental Formula : 



Incisors, ; 



Canines, - 



'0 0' 



Molars, = 30. 

 5-5 



The canines are small, and in the intermaxillary suture. The false 

 molars are compressed and trenchant, but thicker than in ffypsiprym- 

 nun, the dentition of which, otherwise, that of the Koala resembles 

 closely. The lower true grinders are narrower than the upper ones, 

 and both quadricuspid. 



P. cincrtut (Lipuriu cinereta of Goldfuss ; P, fuscus of Desmarest ; 

 P. Flinderrii of Lesson), the Ashy Koala. It is the only species. 



It is as large as a dog of moderate size. Fur long, thick, rather 

 coarse, and ashy-brown, tufted ears rather lighter. It is said to have 

 the gait and carriage of a young bear, to be arboreal in its habits, 

 and to pass its life upon trees and in dens or holes which it hollows 

 at their feet. Of its powers of climbing there can be no doubt ; the 

 structure of its extremities would lead to this inference, and actual 

 observation has confirmed it. Its locality is Australia, and we are 

 enabled to give figures of the parent and young, taken by the kind 

 permusion of a friend, from a very accurate and beautiful drawing 

 executed from the living animals, the first that were known in the 

 colonies. They were brought in by natives to Colonel Paterson, then 

 lieutenant-governor of the colony, from the Hat Hill district, to the 



southward of Port Jackson, iu 1803. 

 said to signify ' Biter.' 



The native, name 'Koala' is 



--i, j 



Ashy Koala (Phascolarcfoi cinereus). 



There are old and young stuffed specimens in the British Museum, 

 and a stuffed specimen (Mr. Caley's) in the Museum of the Linnsoan 

 Society. 



The visceral anatomy will be found in Mr. Martin's paper ' On the 

 Anatomy of the Koala,' read to the Zoological Society in November, 

 1836 (' Zool. Proc.,' 1836). It is chiefiy remarkable for the enormous 

 size and length of the csecum. 



Hypsiprymnns (Illiger). Head elongated ; ears large ; upper lip 

 cleft. Tail moderate, scaly, covered scantily with hairs. Two teats 

 only in the ventral pouch of the female. Anterior feet five-toed, 

 armed with obtuse nails ; third toe of the hind feet very robust, and 

 armed with a very strong nail. Dental Formula : 



Inciaors, 3 =?; Canines, 1 -=- 1 ; Molars, 5 = 30. 

 1 1 I) 5 5 



Teeth of Hyptiprymnus. F. Cuvier. 



H. Potwoo (Macrnpus minor of Shaw ; Potorous minimus and Kan- 

 gurus Gaimardi of Desmarest ; Hypsiprymnua Wkitel of Quoy and 

 Gaimard ; Potoroo of White, and Kauguroo-Rat of Phillips's ' Voyage'). 

 It is the size of a rabbit ; general colour grayish, reddish-brown above, 

 whitish below; head triangular; ears large; tarsi very long; tail 

 elongated, flexible, terminated by a pencil of hairs. 



The manners of the Kangaroo-Kat are mild and timid : its food 



