Genus and Species ©/"Didelphyidae. 187 



nearly allied, although its differences are so great that, even 

 were all the opossums still put in one genus, as formerly, its 

 peculiar characters, and especially its doubly inflated buUce, 

 would nevertheless demand its generic distinction. 



Dromiciops gliroides^ sp. n. 



Size and superficial appearance strongly recalling those of 

 Dromicia nana, the Tasmanian Dormouse-Phalanger, a 

 resemblance which has suggested the generic name. General 

 colour above fawn-grey, the dorsal area decidedly darker than 

 the sides. Face coloured as in M. elegans, that is, pale grey, 

 with distinct black rings round the eyes. Ears short, rounded, 

 their anterior basal prominence little developed ; their backs 

 covered basally with thick fur like that of the crown, and 

 terminally with thin yellowish hairs ; altogether they present 

 a great contrast to the large and practically naked ears of 

 Mtcoureus. Crown and nape of neck rufous brown or cinna- 

 mon, lighter on the sides of the neck, where the hairs have 

 prominent subterminal white rings. Similarly on the sides 

 of the body there is a large whitish patch just behind the 

 shoulder, another in front, and a third just behind the hips, 

 so that the whole animal^ when viewed from the side, presents 

 an alternation of light and dark areas, beginning with the 

 whitish cheeks, followed in succession by a darker colour 

 below the ears, then lighter on the sides of the neck, darker 

 on the shoulder, centre of belly, and hips, each of these parts 

 being separated by the lighter areas already mentioned. The 

 dark of the shoulder is united above to that of the back, but 

 that of the hips is separated by a narrow longitudinal light line 

 passing approximately along the pelvic bones. These varia- 

 tions in colour are in no case very conspicuous or sharply 

 defined. Belly dirty yellowish white, the grey of the bases of 

 the hairs showing through. Outer sides of limbs and backs of 

 hands brown ; inner sides and backs of feet dull white. Soles 

 with five very prominent transversely striated pads — a long 

 cue across the base of the hallux, three at the bases of the 

 other toes, and a rather smaller postero-external pad. Ter- 

 minal digital pads large, surpassing the claws, longitudinally 

 striated. Tail very thick at its base and tapering rapidly and 

 evenly to the tip, its basal third thickly clothed with shining 

 fawn-coloured fur like that of the body ; its terminal two 

 thirds almost equally well clothed, but the hairs are straighter 

 and nearly uniformly dark brown. Below, the hairs are 

 brownish white throughout. The naked part of the tail is 



