THE PHALANGER FAMILY. 



205 



thumb and forefinger, are opposable to the | as well as the canines 

 other three, So that 

 the paw forms, as it 

 were, a pair of pincers. 

 The great toe of the 

 hind-feet has no nail, 

 but is very large and 

 strong, and can be 

 opposed to the other 

 toes either alone or 

 along with the two 

 adjoining toes. The 

 dentition is a transi- 

 tion to that of the 

 rodents. The two 

 middle incisors of the 

 upper jaw are remark- 

 ably strong and get 

 worn by use so as to 

 form a keel. With 

 respect to the corres- 

 ponding teeth of the 

 lower jaw they assume 

 the same position as 

 in the rodents. The remaining upper incisors | about with it for a long 



Fig. 258. 



Sv- W~<;v>- 



-The Vulpine Phalanger (Phalangista vulpina). 



are very small; in the 

 lower jawthe latter are 

 wanting altogether. 

 The premolars have 

 blunt edges and stand 

 in close-set rows sep- 

 arated by a tolerably 

 wide interval from the 

 molars. The latter 

 have a number of 

 tubercles arranged in 

 the form of a cross. 

 The animal is gentle, 

 peaceable, and in- 

 dolent. Its colour is 

 a dark -gray on the 

 back, rather lighter 

 on the underparts. 

 By night it clambers 

 slowly about; men- 

 tally it appears to be 

 not very highly de- 

 veloped. The female 

 carries its young one 

 time on its back. 



Fig. 259.— The Koala or Native (Australian) Bear [Phascolarctos cinereus). 



