CUSCUSES. 



257 



All the species of cuscus are dull and sleepy creatures by day, but become 

 more active at night, which is their chief feeding-time ; the comparatively large 

 size of their eyes being in accordance with nocturnal habits. Mr. Wallace writes 

 that these animals " live in trees, feeding upon the leaves, of which they devour 

 large quantities. They move about slowly, and are difficult to kill, owing to the 

 thickness of their fur, and their tenacity of life. A heavy charge of shot will 



THE SPOTTED cuscus ( nat. size). 



often lodge in the skin and do them no harm, and even breaking the spine or 

 piercing the brain will not kill them for some hours. The natives everywhere eat 

 their flesh, and as their motions are so slow, easily catch them by climbing, so that 

 it is wonderful they have not been exterminated. It may be, however, that their 

 dense woolly fur protects them from birds of prey, and the islands they live in are 

 too thinly inhabited for man to be able to exterminate them." These animals 

 appear to be nowhere common, and in most parts of their habitat are very rare. 

 In addition to leaves and fruit, they will catch and eat birds and other small 

 VOL. in. 17 



