PHALANGISTA VIVERRINA, o g ub y . 
Yiverrine Phalangista. 
P halanyista viverrina, Ogilby in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 151.— Waterh. Nat. Hist, of Mamm., vol. i. p. 303, 
Ip Cooki, Gunn, Ann. of Nat. Hist., vol. i. 1838, p. 102. 
On reference to the description of the preceding - species, Phalangista Cooki, will be found some general 
observations respecting the Ring-tailed Opossums of Van Diemen’s Land and New South Wales. A 
lengthened discussion between Mr. Ogilby and Mr. Gray, as to whether the island or continental 
animals should be called Cooki, will be found in the “ Annals of Natural History ” for the year 1838, 
into the merits of which I shall not enter, but merely remark, that my observations of the animals in a 
state of nature lead me to coincide with Mr. Ogilby, and, for the present at least, to consider the Van 
Diemen’s Land animal as distinct from that of New South Wales, and as the one for which his name of 
viverrina should be retained. I saw much of this animal during my sojourn in the island, and frequently 
hunted it in company with some of the settlers, and the servants who accompanied me. Like many other 
species, it evinced a great partiality for certain trees and localities, some districts being resorted to by 
great numbers, while in others it was almost entirely absent. It may extend its range to the continent, 
as I have lately seen a dark-coloured specimen which had been obtained in the brushes. The Ring- 
tailed Opossums procured by Mr. Gilbert in Western Australia, of which I have several examples, are 
fully equal in size, and even blacker in colour, than the Van Diemen’s Land animals ; but he did occa- 
sionally meet with greyer specimens in the neighbourhood of Perth. I mention this, that mammalogis ts 
may form opinions for themselves as to whether these animals constitute one or more species ; whether 
they do or do not, I have considered it advisable to give correct representations of the very opposite 
colours they exhibit, and to state all I know respecting them. 
I found this animal gave a decided preference to those districts of Van Diemen’s Land that are of a sandy 
character, and where the large gum-trees were sparingly dispersed, such as the islands on the River Derwent 
and the plains on the northern side of that stream ; but it was not to be found in the more dense and 
humid scrub of its opposite shore. Our usual mode of hunting this animal was to go out in a small party 
on moonlight nights, when, with the aid of one or two small cur dogs, it was soon discovered, either on 
the ground or among the branches of the trees, where, if looked for with the face towards the moon, it is 
not difficult to see, and when seen, much less difficult to shoot, as it never attempts to retreat. 
Mr. Gunn states that this animal “ is common near Launceston, and is there usually called Ring-tail 
Opossum as a specific name. All the opossums come out of the holes of the trees, in which they usually 
sleep all day, about twilight ; and for about an hour or two after sunset they may be seen busily employed 
eating the leaves of the various species of Eucalypti ; on the branches in moonlight nights they are usually 
shot, and opossum-shooting is sometimes fine sport where a few join together. Orchards in country places 
suffer sometimes from the opossums eating all the leaves and young branches.” 
Mr. Gilbert says this animal is called Ng'6-ra by the aborigines of Perth, and Ngork by those of King 
George’s Sound; and states that “it does not confine itself to the hollows of trees, but is often found in 
holes in the ground, where the entrance is covered with a stump, and from which it is often hunted out by 
the Kangaroo dogs. It varies very much in the colour of the fur, from a very light grey to nearly black. 
In one instance I caught a pair in the same hole exhibiting these extremes of colour.” 
At page 303 of Mr. Waterh ouse’s “Natural History of the Mammalia,” he mentions that there are five 
specimens from Van Diemen’s Land in the British Museum, in which the general hue of the fur is pale 
rufous-grey on the back, and bright rust-colour on the sides of the body and limbs ; this statement induced 
me carefully to examine these specimens, and I feel confident that, by some accident, the labels they 
originally bore have been lost, probably during the process of mounting ; and that they are from New South 
Wales, and not from Van Diemen’s Land. 
The following is the description of a specimen from Van Diemen’s Land sent to me by R. C. Gunn, Esq. : — 
Fur of the head, all the upper surface of the body, the outer side of the limbs, and basal half of the tail, 
sooty-grey, grizzled with whitish, and with numerous interspersed long black hairs ; sides of the face and 
