THE TASMANIAN WOLF. 371 



The Phalangas form the typical genus of the tribe of Phalan- 

 gistins, which comprehends, in addition, the genera Trichosura, 

 Pseudochira, and Dromicia. Several species are met with in 

 Malaysia, but they chiefly belong to the Australian Fauna. They 

 live chiefly in trees, feeding on various kinds of small animals, insects, 

 eggs, and fruits, which they grasp between their fore-paws, and so 

 bring to their mouth. Their appearance may be imagined by putting 

 together a rather short head with short ears and short woolly fur ; 

 a squirrel-like body and long prehensile tail, sometimes completely 

 covered with hair : the body measures about twenty-six inches, and 

 the tail about fifteen inches. The two principal species are the Sooty 

 Phalanga (Phalangista fuliginosa), found in Van Diemen's Land, and 

 named in reference to its smoky black fur ; and the Vulpine Phalanga, 

 or Vulpine Opossum (P. vulpina), widely distributed over Australia, 

 and having a fox-like character about his head. The Flying Phalangas 

 are also allied to this genus. 



The Thylacyni are distinguished from the Opossums by the hind- 

 feet having no thumb, by a hairy and non-prehensile tail, and by 

 having two incisors less to each jaw. Only one species is known to 

 exist in Australia,* where it is called the " Tasmanian Wol" and 

 sometimes " Tiger " and " Hysena." It resembles a wolf in many 

 respects, but its hinder parts are sensibly higher than its fore ; its 

 elongated muzzle is almost cylindrical in shape, and very thick ; and 

 his tail, broad at the base, tapers away to a fine point. The colour is 

 gray, striped with black across the hinder limbs. 



Of the Thylacynus cynocephalus M. Paul Gervais furnishes the 

 following description : -f- 



" There exists in Tasmania an animal of carnivorous habits almost 

 as large as a wolf, and whose external forms at the first glance do 

 not differ sufficiently from those of the latter to prevent one from 

 including him in the family Canidce ; but this member of the 

 Carnivora, though he has also the wolfs appetite, and commits havoc 



* Gould, " Quadrupeds of Australia," in loc. 



t M. P. Gervais, " Histoire Naturelle des Mammiferes," sub nom. Thylacynus. 



