Marsupials and Monotremes 



355 



TlW, PlIALANCERS. 



The Plialanger Family of 



Marsupials, which next invites 



attention, is constituted of 



animals esiDecially adapted to 



lead an arboreal life, thouo-h 



among themselves they ex- 

 hibit very considerable struc- 

 tural variations. The species 



usually placed at the head of 



this group is the essential] v 



droll and in many respects 



abnormal form known as the 



Koala, or Austualiax Native 



Bear. Its little podgy tailless 



body, short tliick-set head, 



and round tufted ears lend 



some countenance perhaps to 



the ursine analogy ; but there 



the likeness ends. 



The koala is limited in 



its distribution to the south- 

 eastern region of the Australian 



Continent, and is there found 



inhabiting the loftiest gum- 

 trees, on the leaves and flowers 



of which it almost exclusively 



feeds. Compared with the 



opossum and squirrel-like 



phalangers, the koala ■ is a 



very slow and sedentary little 



animal, remaining stationary 



in and browsing upon the 



leaves of the same gum-tree 



for days or even week-s at a stretch. Taking adwintage of this home-staying propensity, 



examples are established, with full liberty to wander at will among the large gum-trees, in 



the ]\Ielbourne Zoological Gardens, and have never abused the confidence reposed in them by 



surreptitiously absconding. The young koalas in particular make the most droll and delightful 



of household i>ets, speedily becoming attached to and following their owners about tlie premises, 



or contentedly settling do^^m to the possession of an allotted corner of the verandah, in which 



an impa-ovised perch has been erected and a constant supply of its favourite gum-leaves is daily 



assured. One such example, kept in Brisbane, Queensland, furnished the writer with the material 



for the photograph on this page ; also of another one that illustrated in an interesting manner 



the very singular attitude assumed by the animal when asleep. Instead of creeping into the 



hollow trunk or spout of a gum or other tree, as the opossums and other phalangers are wont 



to do, the little "bear" simply sticks tight to his supjjorting branch, and, tucking in his 



head and ears and limbs, converts himself into an apparently homogeneous rounded mass of 



fur or moss, and, thus disguised, peacefully sleeps. Seen at some little distance, in fact, 



none but a trained eye could distinguish this sleeping bear from one of the round woody 



excrescences or bunches of misletoe-like parasitic growths that are of common occurrence on 



the trees in every gum forest. In this way the little creature secures immunity from the 



Pholubn ir. Kavlllc-Kcat, F.Z.S.] 



[Mitfurd-oii-Sea. 



KOALA, OK AUSTRALI.iS SATIVE BEAR AND CUB. 



An excellent illustration of the w;iy in which the female koalas carry their young securely 

 perched on their hacks. 



