PHALANGERID& 155 



Skull short and broad, with the hinder part of the palate in- 

 complete, and the auditory bullae large, much inflated, and trans- 



010 /o A\ 



parent. Dentition : i -^ c -, p g, m ^ '' First upper incisor spat- 



ulate, and much longer than either of the others. Canine large, 

 placed at some distance behind the third incisor. Molars (except the 

 last) with evenly rounded crowns, carrying four small smooth cusps. 



This genus, which occurs in New Guinea, Western Australia, and 

 Tasmania, is represented by four species. It seems to be inter- 

 mediate between Petaurus and Acrobates, and it has apparently had 

 to yield place to those more highly organised types in regions where 

 they have come in contact with one another. 



Distcechunis. 1 Size small. Ears rather short, thinly covered 

 with hair, but with small tufts at the base. No flying membrane. 

 Digits of normal proportions, without expanded terminal pads. 

 Claws curved and sharp. Tail, skull, and dentition as in Acrolates, 

 with the exception that the fourth premolar is small in the upper, 

 and absent in the lower jaw. 



The one species of Feather -tailed Phalanger (D. pennatus) is 

 found in New Guinea. 



Acrobates. 2 Size very small. Fjars moderate, thinly covered 

 with hair, but with small tufts round the base and on the internal 

 prominences. A narrow flying membrane, fringed with long hairs, 

 running from the elbow to the flank, and from the latter to the 

 knee. Four mammae. Digits furnished with expanded and striated 

 terminal pads, the relative length of those of the manus being in the 

 order 4, 3, 5, 2, 1. Claws sharp, although somewhat concealed by 

 the terminal pads. Tail short-haired above and below, with a broad 

 fringe on either side. Skull short, wide, and depressed. Posterior 

 portion of palate very imperfectly ossified ; anterior palatal vacuities 

 almost confined to the maxillae. Auditory bullae low, rounded, and 

 but slightly prominent. Dentition : i f , c ^,p f , m f . Teeth sharp, 

 and of an insectivorous type. Upper canine long, and approximated 

 to third incisor. The three upper premolars large, functional, and 

 taller than the molars. Molars small and rounded, with smooth 

 unridged cusps. 



There is only one species in this genus, the beautiful little 

 Pigmy Flying-Phalanger (A. pygmceus), not so big as a Mouse, which 

 is found in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, and feeds 

 on the honey it abstracts from flowers, and on insects. Its agility 

 and powers of leaping are exceedingly great, and it is said by 

 Mr. Gould to make a most charming little pet. 



Subfamily Phaseolaretinae. Teeth large, normal; no rudi- 

 mentary premolars before the last upper premolar, or any teeth 



1 Peters, Ann. Mus. Genov. vol. vi. p. 303 (1874). 

 2 Destnarest, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. ser. 2, vol. xxv. p. 405 (1817). 



