26 o 
POUCHED MAMMALS. 
membrane ; being like it in skull and teeth, while the tail, which is prehensile, is 
similarly naked on the under surface of the tip. The flying-membrane extends 
from the wrist to the ankle, but is reduced to a narrow strip on the fore-arm and 
lower leg. In size this species may measure as much as 20 inches to the root 
of the tail. It is characterised by its large and thickly-haired ears and long silky 
coat; its general colour being blackish brown with white beneath. 
striped The striped phalanger ( Dactylopsila trivirgata), ranging from 
Phalanger. New Guinea to Queensland, together with a second Papuan species 
( D. palpator), represent a non-flying genus, agreeing with the two last in having 
the under surface of the tip of the tail naked, but distinguished by having the 
fourth toe of the fore-foot much longer than either of the others. These 
phalangers, which are of medium size, are, moreover, easily distinguished from 
their kindred by the back being ornamented with broad longitudinal stripes of 
black and white. Although nothing definite is known as to their habits, it is 
probable that the elongated fourth digit of the fore-paw is for the purpose of 
extracting insects and grubs from beneath the bark, or out of holes in trees. 
True Flying- The true flying-phalangers ( Petaurus ), of which there are two 
Phalangers. exclusively Australian species, and one common to Australia and New 
Guinea, are small or medium-sized forms, closely allied to Leadbeater’s phalanger, 
noticed below. They are readily distinguished from the preceding groups by the 
tail being evenly bushy to its extreme tip, without any naked portion, and not 
prehensile. The flying-membrane is broad, and extends from the outermost toe 
of the fore-foot to the ankle. The best known species is the squirrel flying- 
phalanger ( Petaurus sciureus )—the sugar-squirrel of the colonists—which is the 
one represented in our illustration. It is confined to Eastern Australia. The 
length of the head and body in this pretty little animal is about 9 inches, and 
that of the tail rather more. The ears are of medium length, the tail extremely 
bushy, especially near its root, and the fur very soft. The general colour is a 
delicate ashy grey; but a longitudinal black band commencing near the nose runs 
down the back, to stop short of the root of the tail. The eyes are ringed with 
black; the ears are black at the base externally but white at the hinder angle; 
the cheeks are white, save for a black patch immediately below the ear; while 
the chin, under-parts, and edges of the flying-membrane are also white. The tip 
of the tail is black, and there is a black line on each side of the flying-membrane 
internally to the white margin. 
The following excellent account of the habits of the yellow flying-phalanger 
CP. australis), from mountain districts in New South Wales and Victoria, is 
given by Gould, who says that “ this animal is common in all the bushes of 
New South Wales, particularly in those which stretch along the coast from 
Port Phillip to Moreton Bay. In these vast forests trees of one kind or 
another are perpetually flowering, and thus offer a never-failing supply of the 
blossoms upon which it feeds; the flowers of the various kinds of gums (eucalyptus), 
some of which are of great magnitude, being the principal favourites. Like the 
rest of its genus, it is nocturnal in its habits, dwelling in holes and in the sprouts of 
the larger branches during the day, and displaying the greatest activity at night 
while running over the small leafy branches, frequently even to their very 
