THE SQUIRREL PETAURUS. 73 
the lower. The former are divided by the same eminent 
naturalist into six incisors, four canines, two false 
molars, and eight true ones ; the latter consisting of 
two incisors, and no canines, with eight false and as 
many true molars. The dentary character of the origi- 
nal species of Petaurus, which he takes as the type of 
his other group, differs chiefly in the total want of 
canine teeth ; but we may here be permitted to observe 
that it appears to us somewhat doubtful how far those 
which are above enumerated as such truly deserve the 
name which has been applied to them. 
In every other respect the little creature in question 
perfectly agrees with the group of animals to which we 
have restored it ; and which are at once characterized 
by the broad expansion of their skin on each side of 
the body, extending between the anterior and posterior 
limbs as in the Flying Squirrels, to which indeed they 
bear a close resemblance. In common with nearly the 
whole of the Mammiferous Quadrupeds of the country 
which they inhabit, they possess the abdominal pouch 
which fixes their place in the system among the Mar- 
supial animals ; and as in many of these, the thumbs of 
their hind feet are long and distinctly opposable to the 
sole. The other toes are four in number, and furnished 
with tolerably strong claws, of which the thumbs are 
destitute. The fore feet have five long radiating toes, 
the middle one of which is the longest, all armed with 
similar claws to those of the hind feet. The tail is 
round, covered with loose hair, somewhat tapering 
towards the point, and not strictly prehensile, having 
no naked surface at its extremity beneath. 
In size the present species is about equal to the 
Common Squirrel ; and its tail is rather longer than 
its body. Its colour is delicately gray above, somewhat 
darker on the head, and white beneath. A black line 
