680 On Two new Subspecies of Pbalungcr orientalis. 



LXXXV. — Two neio Subspecies q/'Plialanger orientalis. 

 By Oldfield Thomas. 



(Published by permission of the Trustees of the Hritish Museum.) 



Phalanger orientalis ducntoris, subsp. n. 



Iiitcrmeiliate in size between orientalis and breviceps. 

 Colour and f^eneral appearance, at least of female, as in 

 breviceps ; adult male not known. General colour above of 

 tlie usual dark grey varying to brown ; under surface dull 

 whitisb. Dorsal line present, not conspicuous. Hairy part 

 of tail like body, not yellowisb as it generally is in breviceps. 

 Skull ratlier larger tban that of breviceps, considerably 

 smaller than in orientalis. Muzzle and interorbital region 

 distinctly longer than in tlie former. Supraorbital ridges 

 well developed, more so than in female or ienta/is, but whether 

 the male has the greatly developed ridges fouiid in breviceps 

 is not at present known. Teeth and other characters about 

 as in breviceps. 



Dimensions of the type (measured on skin) : — 

 Head and body 520 mm. ; hind foot 62. 

 Skull : back of glenoid fossa to gnathion 65 ; postorbital 

 process to tip of nasals 47 ; zygomatic breadtli 46 ; nasals 

 33 X 122 ; interorbital breadth 10 ; dental length 41*3 ; 

 greatest diameter of secator 4 ; ms^~^ 15. 



Thib. Duke of York Island, between New Britain and New 

 Ireland. 



Type. Adult male. B.M. no. 78. 2. 5. 6. Collected by 

 the Kev. G. Brown. 



This is the animal which Alston referred to orientalis*, and 

 which in the Catalogue I phiced with tlie Solomon Island 

 Cuscus — Phalanger breviceps. It is, however, evidently an 

 intermediate form inhabiting the Duke of York group and no 

 doubt both New Britain and New Ireland, and should appa- 

 rently have a special subspecitic name. 



On the other hand, the Phalanger of Ruk Island, between 

 New Britain and the mainland, is as large as true Ph. orien- 

 talis. 



Phalanger orientalis mimicus, subsp. n. 



As in true insular orientalis, but much smaller. General 

 colour of a male very similar to topotypical Amboina orien- 

 talis, the upper surface pale drabby grey, more intense across 



* Cuscus orientalis, T. Z. S. 1877, p. 126. 



