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. 



It 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 blackish-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 deej)ened into a rich black- 

 brown ; others are almost entirely gray on the upper surface of the body and parachute mem- 

 brane ; while specimens of a 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 to 

 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. 



The Hepoona Poo, or Great Flying Phalangek, 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 



