206 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



branches of large trees, I always found it difficult to obtain. It is 

 nowhere numerous, but more common along the coast than in 

 the interior. I only succeeded in securing specimens on a few 

 occasions. 



Like all the other Phalangistidce, it is strictly nocturnal, and 

 using its flying membrane the little animal will swiftly move 

 from tree to tree searching for food. The " flying " only consists 

 in sliding from a higher tree to a lower one, or to the ground, 

 using the large expansion of the skin between the fore and hind 

 legs as a parachute. Curiosity will sometimes induce this little 

 Squirrel to visit one's camp, and on one of the heads of the 

 Mary river I remember one of these little animals appearing 

 every night towards daybreak, examining our camp, until one 

 day we discovered its hiding place in a hollow tree and killed it. 



The Petaurus having no pouch, the young simply adhere to 

 the teats of the mother. During their most helpless stages I 

 am inclined to believe they are always fixed to the mother in 

 this way, this being also the case with other marsupials destitute 

 of a pouch, such as the Dasyimdce. Later on the young are 

 undoubtedly left behind in the lair, as their size and number 

 would prevent the mother from moving with sufficient ease. 

 They are sucklings until they have reached half the size of an 

 adult individual, and their number is three ; at least, that was 

 the number in the only case I had the opportunity of observing. 



In the vicinity of Roebuck Bay this species was not un- 

 common. 



Dasyurus hallucatus. " Jinan" ; " Tjabbo." 



This species occurs nearly everywhere in Ariihem Land, but 

 according to my experience never plentifully except in the moun- 

 tainous parts of the country. Although in the forest-clad plains 

 it resorts to the hollow trees as a hiding-place, the broken rocks 

 and boulders in the mountain ranges seem to have a greater 

 attraction, and in their branching caves and crevasses the little 

 " native Cat " finds a secure resting-place. 



Although the habits of the animal are nocturnal, it very often 

 commences hunting a little before sunset, and I once saw it 

 moving about in broad daylight. 



Walking or running it carries its tail erect like the Fells 



