THE KOALA 167 



Squirrels, and they perform sailing "flights" from tree to tree in the 

 same way; indeed the smaller Flying Phalangers are commonly called 

 Squirrels in Australia, there being no true Squirrels there, though 

 true native Rats and Mice of various kinds occur. These Flying 

 Phalangers vary a great deal in size more than the Flying Squirrels, 

 the biggest (Petaurista taguanoides) being as big as a Cat, while the 

 smallest (Acrobates pygmaus) is not larger than a Mouse, and is 

 indeed known locally as the "Opossum Mouse." 



One of the Flying Phalangers (Petaurus breviceps), a lovely little 

 animal about as big as our Squirrel, with exquisitely soft grey 

 chinchilla-like fur, is constantly to be seen at our Zoological Gardens, 

 and has bred freely there. 



THE KOALA 



(Pkascolomys urstnus) 



WHEN watching the quaint appearance and antics of Bears in 

 menageries, many people may have regretted that Nature has not 

 been kind enough to provide a Bear small enough to be a safe and 

 convenient pet ; but such an animal practically exists in the Koala, 

 this Marsupial being popularly called "Native Bear" in Australia. It 

 is really a member of the Phalanger family, but differs from all these 

 in the absence of a tail, and it is larger than any of them, though 

 not exceeding a Terrier in size. In general appearance it is extremely 

 Bear-like, and its ears are tufted like those of the Indian Sloth-Bear; 

 its teeth, however, are not at all of the Bear pattern, but resemble 

 those of the Vulpine Phalanger in type, and its fore-paws are quite 

 unlike those of any other beast, the thumb and forefinger being 

 opposed to the other fingers, as the thumb alone is in Monkeys ; the 

 hind-paws are like those of the Vulpine Phalanger. The coat of the 

 Koala is of soft thick grey fur, the nose having a large naked pad. 

 The creature lives almost entirely in the trees, and is very slow in its 

 movements on the ground ; it has but one cub at a time, and when this 

 is big enough to leave the pouch, it rides on its mother's back 

 another resemblance to the Sloth-Bear. The food of this creature con- 

 sists practically entirely of the shoots of the gum-trees, and it is not 

 easy to keep in captivity unless this food can be supplied. Jt has, 

 however, been exhibited in our Zoological Gardens, and I should 

 suggest that any one trying to bring it home should get a quantity 



