212 



PHALANGISTID^ 



-MAMMALIA. PHALAXGISTIDJE. 



find also two or four canines. In all cases the upper 

 central incisors are comparatively large, the lower being 

 conspicuous and procumbent as in the Kangaroos. In 

 the Pigmy Petaurist, or Flying Phalanger, there are 

 twenty-four permanent molars in addition to the four 

 canines, whilst other members of the genus Petaurus 

 display twenty-eight molars, the anterior twelve coming 

 under the category of spurious grinders. In the genus 

 Phascolarctos, on the other hand, there are only two 

 canines occupying the upper jaw, and twenty molars, 

 the anterior four being false. All the Phalangers are 

 provided with a simple stomach and a long coecum. 

 In most cases the tail is extensively developed, but in 

 the aberrant genus Phascolarctos it is merely rudimen- 

 tary. In some, the tails are prehensile. The habits of 

 the family are arboreal and nocturnal ; they feed partly 

 upon fruits and leaves, and on small birds. 



THE VULPINE OPOSSUM (Phalangista vulpina} is 

 a very common species in Australia, and is much 

 hunted by the natives, who are particularly fond of its 

 flesh. It is called in their strange language the Wha- 

 tapooroo. Although somewhat fox-like in appearance, 

 it is a much smaller animal, measuring about twenty- 

 six inches in length, exclusive of the tail, which would 

 give us some additional fifteen inches. The fur exhi- 

 bits a ruddy buff colour generally, inclining to a ferru- 

 ginous tint at the lower part of the throat ; the tail is 

 black, except at the root. The ears are about one inch 

 and a half long; the limbs being also comparatively 

 short. Similar characters likewise exist in another 

 form inhabiting Van Diemen's Land; this is a larger 

 and darker coloured animal, being considered by Messrs. 

 Gould and Ogilby to be distinct ; they have accordingly 

 imparted to it the combined generic and specific title 

 P. fuliginosa. 



THE SPOTTED PHALANGER (Cuscus maculata), 

 or SCHAM-SCHAM, has been genetically separated by 

 Lacdpede and Temminck on what appears to be very 

 satisfactory grounds ; for we find no less than twelve 

 incisors, six above and the like number below the 

 total number of all the teeth together amounting to 

 forty. In this animal the tail is prehensile and naked 

 at the narrowed extremity, where it is also marked with 

 rugosities. The Scham-Scham is an inhabitant of 

 New Guinea and the Moluccas, being also called Coes- 

 coes by the natives of the latter island hence the 

 generic title adopted by the French naturalist. The 

 fur has a thick woolly texture, having a whitish ground 

 colour, which is spotted by large, more or less isolated 

 deep brown patches, some of the macula? occasionally 

 running into one another. The body is stoutish through- 

 out; the ears being remarkably short. It appears to 

 be slothful in its movements ; at least such is the char- 

 acter given to it by M. Lesson. 



THE MOUSE-LIKE PHALANGES (Phalangista gli- 

 riformis) Plate 30, fig. 94 has been elevated by Dr. 

 J. E. Gray into a subgeneric rank, under the title of 

 Dromicia, on account of certain dental peculiarities ; 

 but, " as these modifications of the teeth are unaccom- 

 panied by any change of general structure or of habit, 

 whilst those teeth which most influence the diet are 

 constant, it is obvious," says Professor Owen, "that 

 these differences of dentition are unimportant, and 



afford no just grounds for subgeneric distinctions." 

 The particular tooth-characters here adverted to, have 

 reference more particularly to the presence of only 

 three true molars on each side of either jaw ; but apart 

 from this feature the Mouse-like Phalanger possesses 

 many points of interest. It is remarkably small, the 

 body measuring only four inches in length, excluding 

 the tail, which would give us upwards of three inches 

 and three quarters more. This organ is black at the 

 root, and clothed with short stoutish hairs, except at 

 the tip, where it is naked. The ears are large and 

 almost destitute of hair. This little marsupial is only 

 found in Van Diemen's Land. Excellent figures of it 

 are given by Watcrhouse and Gould, and by Mr. Bell 

 in the sixteenth volume of the Linnsean Society's 

 Transactions. 



THE SCIURINE PETAURIST (Petaurus sciureus), or 

 SUGAR SQUIRREL. The distinguished naturalist Shaw 

 separated the flying Phalangers into a distinct genus 

 Petaurus on account of the peculiar membranous 

 expansion of the skin existing between the anterior 

 and posterior limbs, associated with a non-prehensile 

 hairy tail. Five or six species have been described. 

 These are P. taguanoides, the largest, with a brown 

 fur, whitish -grey underneath, and hairy ears (fig. 

 87); P. Australis, or the Hopoona-Roo, with long 

 and naked ears, the fur being fulvous below and 

 marked by dark-coloured bands along the central 

 line of the back ; P. breviceps, P. sciureus, P. 

 Ariel, P. breviceps, and P. pygm&us. As has been 

 already indicated, the last-named species presents some 

 trifling departure from the other Petaurists as regards 

 the teeth, which led Desmarest to give it the generic 

 title of Acrobates. Respecting the habits of the Sugar 

 Squirrel which are very similar in all the species 

 Mr. Bennett has supplied the following interesting 

 account "During the day the animal generally remains 

 quietly nestled in the hollows of trees, but becomes 

 animated as night advances, and skims through the 

 air supported by its lateral expansions, half leaping, 

 half flying from branch to branch, feeding upon leaves 

 and insects. This peculiar mode of locomotion can 

 scarcely be considered a true flight, inasmuch as the 

 cutaneous folds, which serve the purposes of wings, 

 seem rather destined for the mere support of the ani- 

 mal in its long and apparently desperate leaps, than 

 for raising it in the air, and directing its course towards 

 any given object. For this latter purpose they are 

 indeed but little fitted by then- structure, the want of 

 proper muscles in a great measure incapacitating them 

 from performing such offices as are dependent on 

 volition. It may be doubted, however, whether these 

 animals are entirely destitute of the power of exercising 

 their will in their flight-like leaps. For the following 

 anecdote bearing upon this subject, we are indebted 

 to our friend Mr. Broderip, who related it to us on 

 unquestionable authority ' On board a vessel sailing 

 off the coast of New Holland was a squirrel Petaurus 

 which was permitted to roam about the ship. On one 

 occasion it reached the mast-head, and, as the sailor 

 who was despatched to bring it down approached, made 

 a spring from aloft to avoid him. At this moment 

 the ship gave a heavy lurch, which, if the original 



