2 6o POUCHED MAMMALS. 



membrane ; being like it in skull and teeth, while the tail, which is prehensile, is 

 similarly naked on the under surface of the tip. The flying-membrane extends 

 from the wrist to the ankle, but is reduced to a narrow strip on the fore-arm and 

 lower leg. In size this species may measure as much as 20 inches to the root 

 of the tail. It is characterised by its large and thickly-haired ears and long silky 

 coat ; its general colour being blackish brown with white beneath. 



striped The striped phalanger (Dactylopsila trivirgata), ranging from 



Phalanger. New Guinea to Queensland, together with a second Papuan species 

 (D. palpator), represent a non-flying genus, agreeing with the two last in having 

 the under surface of the tip of the tail naked, but distinguished by having the 

 fourth toe of the fore-foot much longer than either of the others. These 

 phalangers, which are of medium size, are, moreover, easily distinguished from 

 their kindred by the back being ornamented with broad longitudinal stripes of 

 black and white. Although nothing definite is known as to their habits, it is 

 probable that the elongated fourth digit of the fore-paw is for the purpose of 

 extracting insects and grubs from beneath the bark, or out of holes in trees. 

 True Flying- The true flying-phalangers (Petaurus), of which there are two 



Phalangers. exclusively Australian species, and one common to Australia and New 

 Guinea, are small or medium-sized forms, closely allied to Leadbeater's phalanger, 

 noticed below. They are readily distinguished from the preceding groups by the 

 tail being evenly bushy to its extreme tip, without any naked portion, and not 

 prehensile. The flying-membrane is broad, and extends from the outermost toe 

 of the fore-foot to the ankle. The best known species is the squirrel flying- 

 phalanger (Petaurus sciureus) the sugar-squirrel of the colonists which is the 

 one represented in our illustration. It is confined to Eastern Australia. The 

 length of the head and body in this pretty little animal is about 9 inches, and 

 that of the tail rather more. The ears are of medium length, the tail extremely 

 bushy, especially near its root, and the fur very soft. The general colour is a 

 delicate ashy grey ; but a longitudinal black band commencing near the nose runs 

 down the back, to stop short of the root of the tail. The eyes are ringed with 

 black ; the ears are black at the base externally but white at the hinder angle ; 

 the cheeks are white, save for a black patch immediately below the ear; while 

 the chin, under-parts, and edges of the flying-membrane are also white. The tip 

 of the tail is black, and there is a black line on each side of the flying-membrane 

 internally to the white margin. 



The following excellent account of the habits of the yellow flying-phalanger 

 (P. australis), from mountain districts in New South Wales and Victoria, is 

 given by Gould, who says that "this animal is common in all the bushes of 

 New South Wales, particularly in those which stretch along the coast from 

 Port Phillip to Moreton Bay. In these vast forests trees of one kind or 

 another are perpetually flowering, and thus offer a never-failing supply of the 

 blossoms upon which it feeds ; the flowers of the various kinds of gums (eucalyptus), 

 some of which are of great magnitude, being the principal favourites. Like the 

 rest of its genus, it is nocturnal in its habits, dwelling in holes and in the sprouts of 

 the larger branches during the day, and displaying the greatest activity at night 

 while running over the small leafy branches, frequently even to their very 



