274 DASTFRID^. 



Neotropical by the smaller Opossums. They are strictly arboreal 

 in their habits, and therefore cannot be said to be comparable to 

 the terrestrial and fossorial Shrews, whose position is rather more 

 exactly filled in Australia by the members of the next genus, 

 Sminthopsis. 



Synopsis of the Species. 



I. EXTEENAI ChAEACIEES. 



A. Back not striped. (Australian, rarely 



Papuan.) 

 a. Tail short-haired, or crested on the 

 terminal part of the upperside only. 

 a^. Tail prominently crested terminaUy 1. Ph. cristicattdata, -p. 276. 

 A'. Tail not crested. 



a". Tail tapering gradually, hairs on 

 proximal much longer than on 

 terminal half, and variegated 



like those on back 2. Ph. apicalis, p. 277. 



b'^. Tail cylindrical, evenly short- 

 haired from close to its base, 

 its hairs unicolor. 

 a'. Tail less than 130 miUim. long, 

 a*. Size medium. Hind foot 

 more than 14 mUlim. long. 

 a^. Fore claws very long and 

 strong. Muzzle long. 

 Ears short. 

 B°. Colour uniform dark 

 grizzled umber-brown, 

 not yellow on rump 



and nips. 7. Ph. swainsoni, p. 285. 



¥. Colour grey, becoming 

 more or less yellow on 



rump, hips, and belly . 8. Ph. minima, p. 287. 

 ¥. Fore claws medium. Muz- 

 zle short. Ears large. 



Colour as in 6* 9. Ph.flavipes, p. 289. 



6*. Size very small. Hind foot 



less than 13 miUim. long. . 10. Ph. minutissima, p. 292, 

 6'. Tail more than 160 mUlim. long 11. Ph. longioaudata, p. 293. 

 h. Tip of taU evenly tufted all round. 

 c\ Size large, hind foot above 30 milhm. 



long. Base of tail grey 12. Ph. penicillata, p. 294. 



d}. Size medium, hind foot less than 



,25 miUim. long. Base of tail red. 13, Ph. calura, Tp. 206, 



B. Back striped. (Papuan only.) 



c. Tail long-haired above and laterally, 

 except at tip ; reddish or orange, not 

 white-tipped. Mammae 6. Back 

 with three strines. 

 e\ Back, sides of 'neck, and tail chest- 

 nut or maroon. Hallucal pad 

 continuous. Mesial stripe dis- 

 tinct on head 3, Ph, tlwrheckiana, p. 278. 



