TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 149 



On some. New Species of Birds. By John Gould, Esq., F.B.S. §c. 



Account of a Species of Phalangista recently killed in the County of Durham. 

 By John Hogg, M.A., F.R.S., F.L.S. $<?.* 



On the 22nd August last, the Rector of Redmarshall sent to the author at Norton, 

 in the county of Durham, a recently killed and singular-looking animal. On a 

 slight examination of it, he found that it was a New South Wales species, like an 

 opossum ; but being a male, it had no marsupium, or pouch. As that village is far 

 from any town, it had evidently escaped from confinement ; it had been killed the 

 evening before, whilst it was upon a poplar-tree on a farm near Redmarshall. The 

 farmer, when he first saw it, observed it following some hens, and, fearing their 

 destruction, pursued and at length killed it. 



The following is the description which Mr. J. Hogg gave of it : — The length 

 from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, 18f inches ; the length of the tail, 

 about 13 inches ; entire length, 3 If inches. 



The dentition is as follows : — Two large front teeth, or incisoi's, in the lower jaw, 

 somewhat curved inwards, like those of rabbits, squirrels, &c. ; six incisors in the 

 upper jaw, then two small canines, of which the first is much larger than the second ; 

 and four or five molars. The last could not be determined, as the animal was stiff, 

 and the author did not like to force the jaws open. In the lower jaw are no canines, 

 but four or five molars, most likely five. Hence the formula — 



Inc. C. M. 

 For the upper jaw .... 6+4+10 = 20 in all; 

 For the lower jaw .... 2 + 0+ 10 = 12 in all ; 



these make together 32 teeth in all. Legs rather short, front foot with five toes and 

 five long curved claws. But the hind foot has only two large toes and two claws, also a 

 third toe divided into two as far only as the last phalanx ; or at least the iwo are 

 wilted by the skin up to that phalanx ; and they have both long claws. Then beyond 

 again, and placed more backward, is a large and broad thumb, though without any 

 claw or nail. The feet are evidently those of a climbing animal ; and the tail also is 

 prehensile, for it is curved inwards at its tip, and without hairs under that portion. 

 The skin on each side in the flank, from about the middle of the belly to the hind 

 legs, being loose and somewhat extensible, seemed to show some rudiment of the 

 loose lateral skin so conspicuous in the flying opossum. 



In colour, the upper portion of the body is greyish, or dusky white, mixed with 

 some red and black hairs ; the neck, breast, and belly are yellow, with a rusty-red 

 line down the breast, which extends under the fore legs. Tail thick, hairy ; the 

 lower two-thirds being black ; insides of the ears nearly bare of hairs ; length from 

 the nose to the ear about 3j inches, and the ear about 2f inches long, and in the 

 middle If inch wide. This male specimen was clearly full-grown, but the teeth 

 were not much worn, and the claws very sharp. 



The description of the vulpine opossum in Bewick's ' History of Quadrupeds ' 

 (edit. 4, 1800), p. 435, seemed to agree in most particulars, and that species to 

 correspond with that named in Cuvier's ' Regne Animal,' " le Phalanger Renard " 

 (Phalangista vulpina). As Bewick had given no wood-cut of the former animal, the 

 author could not decide whether it is thats\iec\es, or another described as P. fuliginosa, 

 or the " Sooty Phalangista," to the description of which it corresponds in several 

 points. 



As some of the Phalangista are eaten by the natives of Australia, and as many 

 live on fruits, and leaves, and shoots of trees, Mr. Hogg inquired of the animnl- 

 preserver, who stuffed it, if the flesh was dark-coloured ; but he stated that it was 

 not unlike that of a rabbit. The specimen was plump, and looked as if it had fed 

 well during its rambles ; and the author was sorry that he neglected to have the 

 contents of the stomach examined. 



* This paper is published, with some additions, in the Transactions of the Tyneside 

 Naturalists Field Club, vol. iv. part 2, pp. 180-5. 



