758 MARSUPIALIA. 



color. The tail is very full, the hair being thick, long, and bushy. The 

 ears are rather elongated, and externally naked. The underside of the 

 body is of the same color as the upper portions. 



The Vulpine Phalangist, Phalangista Vulpina, is often called simply 

 the Opossum. It merits by its form and nature, its distinguishing 

 epithet of Vulpine or Fox-like. 



It is an extremely common animal, and is the widest diffused of all 

 the Australian opossum-like animals. It is nocturnal, residing during 

 the day in the hollows of decaying trees. The nature of its food is of a 

 mixed character. If a small bird be given to a Vulpine Phalangist, the 

 creature seizes it in his paws, and then tears it to pieces and eats it. In 

 all probability, therefore, the creature makes no small portion of its 

 meals on various animal substances, such as insects, reptiles, and eggs. 

 It is a tolerably large animal, equalling a large cat in dimensions. 



GENUS CUSCUS. 



The Woolly Phalangers are divided into eight species. The tail, 

 instead of being covered with hair, is naked, except at the base, and is 

 thickly studded with minute tubercles. They are not found in Southern 

 Australia; but are natives of New Guinea, the Moluccas, and Northern 

 Australia. 



The Spotted Cuscus, Cuscus maculatus, in size is equal to a tolerably 

 large cat, and its tail is remarkably prehensile. Its movements are slow 

 and cautious, and its food is chiefly of a vegetable nature. Its fur is beau- 

 tifully soft and silken in its texture, but the color is singularly variable. 

 Another species, called the Ursine Cuscus, is of a uniform deep brown. 



GENUS PETAURISTA. 



The TAGUAN, Petaurista taguanoides, is the only species of the genus. 

 It is provided with a parachute membrane on the flanks, which enables 

 it to float through the air like the flying squirrels. 



In color it is extremely variable ; the back is of a rather deep black- 

 ish-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 of color, however, exist in the animal. 



