PHALANOISTA FULIGINOSA. 267 



the chest greatly extended, and in having the fur 

 of the hack and sides of the body, more or less tinted 

 with rust colour at the base, (instead of heing pale 

 grey, almost white, as in the female specimen,) on the 

 sides of the body the rusty hue is conspicuous, the 

 hairs being of a pale rust colour, and merely tipped 

 with greyish- white; a deep rusty patch is observable 

 on the abdomen beneath, near the base of the tail, 

 and in the midst of this there is a tuft of long stiff 

 black hairs ; the feet, chin, and tip of the muzzle are 

 blackish. In some specimens the feet are yellowish. 

 The region of the pouch of the female is covered 

 with deep rusty-red hairs, and towards the root of the 

 tail a tuft of long black hairs, is observable as in 

 the males ; the feet and hands are naked beneath. 



Since the above was written the author has had an 

 opportunity of examining a large number of speci- 

 mens of this species from Van Diemen's Laud, and 

 among these specimens he perceived intermediate 

 shades of colouring between the ordinary grey speci- 

 mens, and the sooty black Phalanger which is regarded 

 as a distinct species, and has received the name of 



Phalangista fuliginosa. 



P. fuliginosa, Ogilby. Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 

 September 1831, p. 135. 



The general colour of this animal is almost uniform 

 brown-black ; the chest is bright brown inclining to 

 rust colour ; the under parts of the body and of the 

 tail at the base are blackish brown. The fur on the 



