THE GREAT FLYING PHALANGER. 367 
reached the aperture, he strikes the tree sharply once or twice with the back of the hatchet, so 
as to learn, by the echo which is returned to the blow, the position of the animal within the 
hollow. He then rapidly cuts a hole through the tree into the cavity, seizes the concealed 
animal by its tail, jerks it out before it has time to use its claws or teeth, dashes it against the 
tree, and drops it on the ground dead. 
Tt is rather remarkable, that the creature will not emerge from its concealment when 
awakened by the sound of the axe so near its presence, and is not even induced by the quick 
jarring of the wooden walls of its habitation to attempt escape from imminent danger. The 
precaution of jerking the creature quickly from its domicile is most necessary, for the strong, 
sharp, and curved claws of the animal are formidable weapons when the creature is disposed 
to use them for combat, and, together with its sharp teeth, can inflict terrible laceration upon 
its foe. It is of a sufficiently pugnacious disposition, and when it is enraged is a desperate 
fighter with teeth and claws. 
The flesh of the Taguan is said to be very good, and as the animal is a tolerably large one, 
it is a favorite article of diet among the white and black inhabitants of the country. It is, 
however, so extremely difficult of capture, that, without the assistance of native aid, the white 
men would seldom be able to make a dinner on this creature. But as travellers or hunters are 
generally accompanied by one or more ‘‘ black fellows,” they are well supplied with Taguans 
by the quick eye and ready hand of their sable allies. 
In color the Taguan is extremely variable, but the general arrangement of its color is as 
follows : 
The back is of a rather deep biackish-brown, darker or lighter in different individuals, 
the feet and muzzle are nearly black, and the under surface of the body and membrane is 
white. The upper surface of the parachute membrane is rather grizzled, on account of the 
variegated tints of black and gray with which the hairs are annulated. Many varieties, how- 
ever, of color exist in the animal, and there are hardly any two specimens in which the tints 
are precisely alike. The brown hue of the fur is in some examples deepened into a rich black- 
brown ; others are almost entirely gray on the upper surface of the body and parachute mem- 
brane ; while specimens of 2 beautiful white are not of very unfrequent occurrence. In all 
cases, however, the fur of the under portions, and inner faces of the limbs, preserves its 
white hue. 
The whole of the fur is extremely long, being no less than two inches in length on the 
back. It is very soft and silken in texture, and is remarkably loose and glossy, so that it 
waves in the air at every movement of the animal, or at the touch of every breath of wind 
that may stir the atmosphere. On the tail the hair is remarkably long and bushy, and 
gradually deepens in color from a pale brown at the base to a dark, blackish-brown at 
the tip. 
The animal is found inhabiting the vast forest ranges that run from Port Philip to 
Moreton Bay, and is seldom, if ever, found in any part of the country except in the eastern 
or southeastern districts of New South Wales. 
The food of the Taguan consists of leaves, buds, and the young shoots of trees, chiefly 
of the eucalypti, which it eats only during the hours of night. It seldom troubles itself ta 
descend to the ground, for it can easily pass from one tree to another by means of the won- 
derful apparatus with which it is gifted, but when it does come to earth, prowls about in 
search of some vegetation that may afford an agreeable variety to the too uniform diet of 
leaves and buds. 5 
Tur Hrpoona Roo, or Great Fryinc PHALANGER, is rather a remarkable animal in 
appearance. It is an inhabitant of New Holland, and is found in tolerable plenty about Port 
Jackson and Botany Bay. 
The color of the Hepoona Roo is rather variable, but is generally as follows. The upper 
part of the body is brown, tinged with gray, and a much darker brown stripe runs along the 
course of the spine. The head is darker than the general hue of the body, and on the top of 
the head the brown tint is warmed by the admixture of hairs of a fawn color, The under 
