252 PHALANGISTID^. 



at tlie apex ; the canines are sometimes of moderate 

 size, but generally small, conical and slightly com- 

 pressed ; the false molar, which is in contact with the 

 series of true molars, is in some species somewhat 

 compressed, and presents a nearly even cutting edge, 

 in others it is as broad as long, and obtusely pointed; 

 the true molars are nearly of a quadrate form, and 

 present each four blunt tubercles ; the posterior molar 

 is always rather less than the rest; the incisors of 

 the lower jaw, which are in the same nearly horizon- 

 tal direction as the symphysis menti, are long, pointed, 

 and have the inner and outer edges sharp. Besides 

 these teeth, which are found in all the species, there 

 are some false molars in both jaws which vary both 

 in number and size. In P. ursina, there is one 

 canine-like false molar, in front of the contiguous 

 series of molars on each side of the upper jaw ; of 

 two very small false molars in front of the series in 

 the lower jaw, one is placed close to the incisors, and 

 the second close to the larger molars. In a skull 

 before me, (of the same animal) I find three of these 

 small teeth on one side of the lower jaw and two on 

 the other ; the number of these teeth on either side 

 of each jaw, situated in the upper jaw between the 

 canines and the continuous series of molars, and in 

 the lower jaw between the incisors and the foremost 

 well-developed molar, in other species of Phalangista 

 may be thus expressed, — in P. chrysorrhos and P. 

 maculata i, in P. cavifrons f , P, vulpina \ or i, 

 and in P. Cookii |. 



The genus Phalangista may be divided into two 



