60 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



tribution of this species in Western Australia. It is evidently very 

 rare. The specimen obtained by Gilbert in 1843 seems to have been 

 the only one ever secured in this State." (Shortridge, 1910, p. 835; 

 map, p. 836.) 



"Mr. A. Le Souef states in a letter 2/12/1927 that he has seen a 

 dried skin at Rawlinna. This is the only recent record known to 

 me." (Glauert, 1933, p. 24.) 



Family PHALANGERIDAE : Phalangers, etc. 



This family consists of approximately 14 Recent genera and 110 

 forms. Its range extends from Tasmania and Australia to New 

 Guinea and the Admiralty and Solomon Islands on the north and 

 to Celebes and Timor on the west. Three Australian species are 

 discussed herein. 



Honey Mouse; Honey Possum; Long-snouted Pouched Mouse 



TARSIPES SPENSERAE J. E. Gray 



Tarsipes Spenserae J. E. Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 1, vol. 9, p. 40, 1842. 



("King George's Sound," Western Australia.) 

 FIGS.: Gould, 1845, vol. 1, pi. 5; Waterhouse, 1846, vol. 1, pi. 11, fig. 1; 



Cabrera, 1919, pi. 13, fig. 5; Troughton, 1923, pi. 23, and p. 152, fig.; 



Troughton, 1924, pp. 128, 129, figs. 



This rare, local, and unique little animal of Western Australia is 

 "becoming rarer" (L. Glauert, in Hit., March 17, 1937) . 



Body mouselike; head elongate, tapering; general color blackish 

 gray ; back with a median black streak, bordered by a brown stripe 

 on each side; under parts pale bay; tail elongate, tapering, short- 

 haired, scaly. Head and body, 3^ inches; tail, 3 inches. (J. E. Gray, 

 1842, p. 40.) Tongue slender, protrusile, and brushlike, specialized 

 for thrusting into flowers for nectar. Head and body, 71 (male) to 

 86 mm. (female) ; tail, 95 (male) to 101 mm. (female). (Troughton, 

 1923, pp. 153-154.) 



The range, according to Glauert (1933, p. 25), is "South-Western 

 Australia from the Irwin River south of Geraldton to the south 

 coast as far east as Esperance. 



"Usually more or less coastal, but has been found along the 

 Great Southern as far north as Wagin, and at Nyabing east of 

 Katanning. The animal still occurs close to Perth in suitable 

 localities. . . . King George's Sound ... is still the headquarters 

 of the species." 



Gould (1863, vol. 1, p. 9) recorded it "from Swan River to King 

 George's Sound, but from its rarity and the difficulty with which it 

 is procured, notwithstanding the high rewards I offered, the natives 

 only brought me four specimens." 



