PHALANGISTA NANA. 279 



in the Museum at Paris^ — it was without a name, but 

 on the bottom of the stand I found the following 

 note, " Nouvelle HoUande, expedition de V Astrolabe." 

 It is probably the specimen referred to by Cuvier, in 

 the second edition of the Regne Animal, as the 

 " Phalanger de Bougainville." I mention this be- 

 cause there has been some little discussion (in the 

 Annals of Natural History) relating to this, and the 

 next described species. 



Mr. Gunn, in the Annals of Natural History for 

 April 1838, states that this species, (which is called 

 P. Cookii, with a note of doubt) " is common near 

 Launcestown, and is there usually called Ring-tailed 

 Opossum, as a specific name." 



PIGMY PHALANGER, 



Phalangista nana. 



Plate XXVI. 



Phalangista nana, Geo/. Desm. Mamm. 

 Phalangista gliriformis, Bell. Transactions of the Linnaan 

 Society, Vol. xvi., p. 121, PL 13. 



The general form of this animal resembles that of 

 the common dormouse; but it is larger, broader, and 

 more depressed. The head is broad across the 

 ears, from whence it tapers to the nose, which is 

 somewhat pointed ; the nostrils are narrow and of a 

 semicircular form; the upper jaw, which is elongated, 

 overhangs the under, and almost entirely conceals it; 

 the eyes are very large, remarkably prominent, and 

 of a jet black colour; the ears are of considerable 



