PHALANGERS. 



261 



extremities, in search of insects and the honey of the newly-opened blossoms. Its 

 structure being ill-adapted for terrestrial habits, it seldom descends to the ground 

 except for the purpose of passing to a tree too distant to be reached by flight. 

 When chased or forced to flight, it ascends to the highest branch and performs the 

 most enormous leaps, sweeping from tree to tree with wonderful address ; a slight 

 ascent gives its body an impetus which, with the expansion of its membrane, 

 enables it to pass to a considerable distance, always ascending a little at the 

 extremity of the leap ; by this ascent the animal is prevented from receiving the 

 shock it would otherwise sustain." 



. 



SQUIRHEL FLYING-PHALANGEIt (J uat. size) 



Leadbeaters The little Leadbeater's phalanger (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri), 



Phaianger. which is rather smaller than the lesser flying squirrel, is of interest 



as being apparently a representative of the parent form from which the true 



flying squirrels were derived. This animal may, indeed, be concisely described 



as a flying squirrel, minus the flying-membrane. It is an inhabitant of Victoria. 



Dormouse- The dormouse-phalangers, of which there are four species from 



Phaiangers. Western Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea, are small creatures 



somewhat resembling dormice in general appearance, and readily distinguished 



by their cylindrical mouse-like tails, which are covered with fur at the base, then 



scaly for the greater part of their length, but naked and prehensile at the tip. In 



the smallest species (Dromicia concinna) the length of the head and body may be 



