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.” 


SQUIRREL FLYING-PHALANGER (3 nat. size) 
Leadbeater’s The little Leadbeater’s phalanger (Gymmnobelideus leadbeaterv), 
Phalanger. 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 
Phalangers. 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 
