The Living Animals of the World, Volume I: Mammals

by W. Sacillc-Kcnt, F.Z.S.} [Milj'ord-on-Sea.

LESSEE FLYING-PHALANGER.

Illustrating position maintained during its remarkable flying leaps.

Marsupials and Monotremes 361

The larger flying-phalanger, the dimensions of our domestic tabby, and with fur as long and as soft as the Persian variety, is less frequently domesticated. It has, in fact, an evil reputation for scratching, biting, and general untamableness. One that was kept for some little time by the late Dr. Bennett, of Sydney, and brought to England, never entirely lost its innate savagery. On the voyage from Australia it became sufficiently tame as to be allowed occasionally to run about on the deck, and was so far amiable as to lay on its back and permit itself to be tickled. On attempting to handle it, however, " it displayed its usual savage disposition, digging its sharp claws and teeth into the hands of its captor." The writer was fortunate in being the recipient in Queensland of a couple of these large phalangers which were exceptions to the usual rule. These specimens a mother and its young male offspring also varied in colour from normal examples, which are usually dark slate or Hit-Kent, F.Z.S.] [Mllfonl-on-Sea. PYGMY FLYING-PHALANGER. blackish brown above and A life-size photograph. The hairs of the tail in this animal are arranged in two parallel lines, like whitish underneath. The the vanes of a bird's feather. mother in this instance was a beautiful cream-white throughout; and her young one, while dark chinchilla-grey upon the back, limbs, and tail, had white ears and breast. Both were very friendly, and would of their own accord climb over their owner's person, seeking in his pockets for hidden lumps of sugar and other acceptable dainties. As with the smaller sqairrel-like forms, they slept throughout the greater portion of the day, waking to activity and making excursions in search is abnormally of their food as soon as the sun went down. The tail of this species of phalanger long and furry, but not prehensile. It was observed of them that when feeding leisurely on the gum-tree leaves this appendage was permitted to hang or rest loosely, but that when walking along the branches they would very frequently coil this member into a tight spiral coil, like a watch-spring or the proboscis of a butterfly, against their hindquarters. This phenomenon is apparently unique among mammals. Although generally seeking the darker retreat of their box for their long daylight sleep, the female, more particularly, would frequently simply curl herself 46

of the World362 The Living Animals up into a furry white ball in one corner of the cage, the head, limbs, or other features being at such times altogether indistinguishable. The aid of the magnesium flash-light was successfully called into service to secure the photographic likeness of this animal, here reproduced, which was taken while it was enjoying its evening meal. As previously mentioned, some representatives of the flying-phalanger group are no larger than mice, and are furnished in a similar manner with a parachute-like membrane that enables them to take abnormally long flying leaps, or as it were to sail horizontally through the air. The PYGMY FLYING-PHALANGER, whose length of body does not exceed 2J inches, is one of the most interesting. The tail in this form is also adapted for aerial flotation, the long hairs that grow upon this appendage being arranged in two parallel lines like the vanes of a feather. Its distribution is limited to the south and eastern districts' of the Australian Continent. There are also a number of mouse- and squirrel-like phalangers destitute of the flying-membrane, which in this respect very closely resemble in Photo by W. Saville-Kent, F.Z.S.] [Milford-on-Sea.

COMMON GREY OPOSSUM, OR PHALANGEK. external aspect more typical members of the The fur of this species is in great demand for the manufacture of Eodent Order. One form in particular, the carriage-rugs. STRIPED PHALANGER of New Guinea, decorated with broad longitudinal black and white stripes, is singularly suggestive of some of the variously also produces a little PYGMYstriped American squirrels. This interesting island of New Guinea PHALANGER with a feather-like tail which, except for the absence of a parachute or flying-membrane, is the very counterpart of the Australian kind. Another species, which in shape, size, and more especially with reference to its long, pointed snout, closely resembles a shrewmouse, is found in Western Australia. The tail of this species, known as the LONG-SNOUTED PHALANGER, is highly prehensile; and it is also provided with a long, slender, protrusile tongue, with which it abstracts the honey from Banksias and other flowers, upon which it customarily feeds.

The two large phalangers known as the BLACK and GREY or VULPINE OPOSSUMS, which are chiefly laid under contribution for the Australian fur supplies, are provided with prehensile tails, the under side of the extremity of which grasps the supporting fulcrum and is devoid of hair. The adaptation of the tail for use as a fifth hand as in the New World monkeys is, however, much more conspicuously manifested in what are known to the colonists as the RING-TAILED OPOSSUMS, and to zoologists as CRESCENT-TOOTHED PHALANGERS. In these the tail tapers to a fine point, and the hair throughout the terminal third of this appendage is so fine and short that it at first sight presents the appearance of being entirely naked. This terminal third of the tail, moreover, in the greater number of species, contrasts with the remaining portion by being white in hue. It occasionally happens, however, that individuals occur which are entirely white. One such which came into the writer's possession was obtained from the Bruni Islands, in the Derwent Estuary, Tasmania, and afterwards became is an interestinga great pet with the young people at Government House, Hobart. It circumstance that the Bruni Islands were noted for the production of albino animals of various descriptions, white kangaroos and white emus having also been obtained from this locality. Probably some peculiarity of the soil, and its action on the vegetable food the animals

Photo by Henry King] [Sydney

AUSTRALIAN GREY OPOSSUM, OR PHALANGER.

On account of its ‘‘ foxy" appearance, this species is also known as the Vulpine Phalanger. 363

of the World364 The Living Animals

consumed, played an important part in the unusually BBBBBBBBBBB frequent occurrence of this phenomenon. The ring-tailed opossums differ essentially from the common opossum or phalanger and its allies in their life habits. While these latter habitually take up their abode and bring forth their young in hollow trees, the ring-tailed species construct a regular nest of interlaced sticks, leaves, grass, or any other available material for their domicile. The structure much resembles the nest, or " drey," of our own familiar

Photo by 1C. Hiu-Mi.Kcnt, F.Z.S.] ' [Milford-on-Sca. European squirrel, and may FRONT VIEW OF GUEY OPOSSUM, Oil PHALANGER. be perched high up among Displays the bare under-surface of the prehensile tail. the tree branches or within only a few feet from the ground among the scrub thickets. In New Guinea a variety of these ring-tailed phalangers occurs, not found in Australia, which has no white tip to its tail, and the ears are very short and wide. The group as represented by this species leads to the consideration of the so-called CUSCUSES or typical phalangers indigenous to New Guinea and North Queensland, though but rarely seen there, which, as an exception to the Marsupial Tribe, are distributed among the Indo-Malay Islands as far westward as Celebes. In the cuscuses the tail is altogether naked, and pre-eminently prehensile throughout almost its entire terminal moiety; the ears are round and, proportionately, exceedingly small; while the fur is very short, thick, and woolly. Compared with the opossums or phalangers, the cuscuses are very dull and sluggish in their movements, creeping slowly among the branches of the trees to browse on the fruit and leaves which constitute their principal diet. Like the opossums, however, or even to a greater extent, they vary this vegetarian regimen with insects or an occasionally captured bird.

THE CUSCUSES.

The familiar SPOTTED Cuscus of New Guinea is the most ornate marsupial mammal. The males, more especially, are as variegated in colour as a tortoiseshell cat. their tints, moreover, closely corresponding in hue With those Of the feline. No tWO Pl,otolyW.Samlle-Kcnt,F.Z.S.} [Miljm-d-on-Sea. individuals, however, are precisely alike in PROFILE VIEW OF GREY OPOSSUM, OR PHALAXGER. .1 TT 11 4. v, j i r ii The opossums are usually shot by moonlight, as seen silhouetted against this respect. Usually the ground-colour of the the sky.

Marsupials and Monotremes 365 back is a dirty or creamy white, interspersed with various-shaped blotches of nut-brown or black; the chin, breast, and under-parts are a purer white, and the limbs grey or reddish brown, or, as shown in the photograph over-leaf, mottled like the body. The BLACK Cuscus of Celebes is, as its name denotes, a much more sombre-looking animal, and is also the largest species, its dimensions equalling or exceeding those of a large cat. The uniformly tinted GREY Cuscus of Timor, Amboina, and other of the Indo-Malay Islands is very similar in size and aspect, excepting for the half-naked tail, to the common ring-tailed phalanger. All the cuscuses are of rare occurrence in even their most favoured habitats. On one occasion the writer came across an example of the grey species in the scrub forest of Thursday Island, Torres Straits. In this instance, however, it is doubtful if the animal was not an escaped pet brought over from the neighbouring coast of New Guinea. Much interesting information concerning ssion of S. Sinclair, Esq.] [Sydney. different varieties of the

RING-TAILED OPOSSUM, OK PHALANGER, AND NEST.

cuscus is contained in Dr. This is the only Australian opossum which builds a regular nest. Alfred Wallace's interesting this naturalistwork " The Malay Archipelago." An anecdote of one which was brought to isduring his residence in the Aru Islands the headquarters of the great bird of paradise thus related: " Just as we had cleared away and packed up for the night, a strange beast was brought, which had been shot by the natives. It resembled in size and in its white woolly covering a small fat lamb, but had short legs, hand-like feet with large claws, and a long prehensile tail. It was a Spotted Cuscus. one of the curious marsupial animals of the Papuan region, and I was very desirous to obtain the skin. The owners, however, said they all thewanted to eat it; and though I offered them a good price, and promised to give them meat, there was great hesitation. Suspecting the reason, I offered, though it was night, to set to work immediately, and get out the body for them, to which they agreed. The creature was much hacked about, and the two hind feet almost cut off, but it was the largest and finest