MARSUPIALS AND MONOTREMES 325... 
The larger’ flying- |; a 
phalanger, the dimensions | 
of our domestic tabby, and 
-with fur as long and as soft 
as the -Persian variety, is 
less frequently domesticated. 
It has, in fact, an evil reputa- 
tion for scratching, biting, 
and general untamableness. 
‘One that was kept for some 
little time by the late Dr. 
‘Bennett, of Sydney, and 
-brought to England, never 
‘entirely lost its innate 
savagery. On the voyage 
from Australia it became 
‘sufficiently: tame as to be 
‘allowed occasionally to run 
‘about on the deck, and was 
‘so far amiable as to lay on 
‘its back and permit itself to 
‘be tickled. On attempting 
‘to handle it, however, ‘it 
displayed its usual savage 
disposition, digging its sharp 
claws and teeth into the 
hands of its captor.” The 
writer was fortunate in being 
the recipient in Queens- 
land of a couple of these 
large phalangers which were 
exceptions to the usual rule. 
These specimens—a mother 
and its young male offspring 
—also varied in colour from | 
normal examples, which © piste sy 17 saville-Kent, F.Z.S, 
are usually dark slate or 
blackish brown above and me. i Setar ue ge 
whitish underneath. The A life-size photograph. The ie Aang Gel nari arranged in two parallel lines, 
mother in this instance was 
a beautiful cream-white throughout; and her young one, while dark chinchilla-grey upon 
the back, limbs, and tail, had white ears and breast. Both were very friendly, and would of 
their own accord climb over their owner’s person, seeking in his pockets for hidden lumps 
of sugar and other acceptable dainties. As with the smaller squirrel-like forms, they slept 
throughout the greater portion of the day, waking to activity and making excursions in search 
of their food as soon as the sun went down. The tail of this species of phalanger is abnormally 
long and furry, but not prehensile. It was observed of them that when feeding leisurely on 
the gum-tre2 leaves this appendage was permitted to hang or rest loosely, but that when walking 
along the branches they would very frequently coil this member into a tight spiral coil, like 
a watch-spring or the proboscis of a butterfly, against their hindquarters. This phenomenon is 
apparently unique among mammals.. Although generally seeking the darker retreat of their box 
for their long daylight sleep, the female, more particularly, would frequently simply curl herself 
PYGMY FLYING-PHALANGER 
