PHALANGISTID^. 253 



subgenera, Phalangista proper, and Cuscus. The 

 species of the former subgenus inhabit the continent 

 of Australia and Van Piemen's Land, and those of 

 the subgenus Cuscus, appear to be confined to some 

 of the Islands North of New Holland. 



The species of Phalangista, (using the term in its 

 restricted sense) have the tail well clothed with hair, 

 often bushy, excepting on the under surface of the 

 apical portion; the muzzle is longer and more attenu- 

 ated than in Cuscus, and the molar teeth are propor- 

 tionately smaller ; their fur, moreover, is less woolly 

 and also less dense, and the ears are larger. In the 

 species of Cuscus, the tail is destitute of hair, ex- 

 cepting at the base, and covered with tubercles, and 

 the ears are small. In Vhalangista the lower incisors 

 are nearly vertical, whereas in Cuscus, the sym- 

 jphysis menti forms an obtuse angle with the lower 

 edge of the rami of the jaw, and the incisors are 

 directed upwards and forwards, as in the Koala. 



In the genus Petaurus, (the flying Phalangers,) 

 there are three very evident modifications of dentition 

 observable, and the species have been divided into three 

 subgenera accordingly. — Petaurus proper, Belideus 

 (Waterh.) and Acrobata (Desm.) P. Taguanoides 

 may be regarded as the type of the first of these 

 sections. Its dentition is : — 



Incisors, f if ; canines, ^:^ ; false molars, |:| ; true 

 molars, |:|=34. 



The incisors of the upper jaw are arranged laterally, 

 the three on either side being placed close together ; 

 the two foremost are separated from one another by 



