PHALANGERIDE 155 
Skull short and broad, with the hinder part of the palate in- 
complete, and the auditory bulle large, much inflated, and trans- 
parent. Dentition: 2 :, c a p . m = First upper incisor spat- 
ulate, and much longer than either of the others. Canine large, 
placed at some distance behind the third incisor. Molars (except the 
last) with evenly rounded crowns, carrying four small smooth cusps. 
This genus, which occurs in New Guinea, Western Australia, and 
Tasmania, is represented by four species. It seems to be inter- 
mediate between Petawrus and Acrobates, and it has apparently had 
to yield place to those more highly organised types in regions where 
they have come in contact with one another. 
Distechurus.1—Size small. Ears rather short, thinly covered 
with hair, but with small tufts at the base. No flying membrane. 
Digits of normal proportions, without expanded terminal pads. 
Claws curved and sharp. Tail, skull, and dentition as in Acrobutes, 
with the exception that the fourth premolar is small in the upper, 
and absent in the lower jaw. 
The one species of Feather-tailed Phalanger (D. pennatus) is 
found in New Guinea. 
Acrobates.2—Size very small. Ears moderate, thinly covered 
with hair, but with small tufts round the base and on the internal 
prominences. A narrow flying membrane, fringed with long hairs, 
running from the elbow to the flank, and from the latter to the 
knee. Four mamme. Digits furnished with expanded and striated 
terminal pads, the relative length of those of the manus being in the 
order 4, 3, 5, 2, 1. Claws sharp, although somewhat concealed by 
the terminal pads. Tail short-haired above and below, with a broad 
fringe on either side. Skull short, wide, and depressed. Posterior 
portion of palate very imperfectly ossified ; anterior palatal vacuities 
almost confined to the maxille. Auditory bulle low, rounded, and 
but slightly prominent. Dentition: 7 3,¢3,p 4, m2. Teeth sharp, 
and of an insectivorous type. Upper canine long, and approximated 
to third incisor. The three upper premolars large, functional, and 
taller than the molars. Molars small and rounded, with smooth 
unridged cusps. 
There is only one species in this genus, the beautiful little 
Pigmy Flying-Phalanger (4. pygmeus), not so big as a Mouse, which 
is found in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, and feeds 
on the honey it abstracts from flowers, and on insects. Its agility 
and powers of leaping are exceedingly great, and it is said by 
Mr. Gould to make a most charming little pet. 
Subfamily Phasecolaretine.—Teeth large, normal; no rudi- 
mentary premolars before the last upper premolar, or any teeth 
1 Peters, dnn. Mus. Genov. vol. vi. p. 303 (1874). 
2 Desmarest, Nouv, Dict. d’ Hist. Nat. sér. 2, vol. xxv. p. 405 (1817). 
