A life-size photograph. The hairs of the tail in this animal are arranged in two parallel lines, like the vanes of a bird's feather.
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 bands 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 blackish brown above and whitish underneath. The 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 squirrel-like forms, they slept throughout the greater portion of the day, waking to activity and making excursions in search of their food as soon as the sun went down. The tail of this species of phalanger is abnormally 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 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.
Photo by W. Saville-Kent, F.Z.S.] [Milford-on-Sea.
COMMON GREY OPOSSUM, OR PHALANGER.
The fur of this species is in great demand for the manufacture of carriage-rugs.
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 2½ 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 external aspect more typical members of the Rodent Order. One form in particular, the Striped Phalanger of New Guinea, decorated with broad longitudinal black and white stripes, is singularly suggestive of some of the variously striped American squirrels. This interesting island of New Guinea also produces a little Pygmy 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 shrew-mouse, 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 a great pet with the young people at Government House, Hobart. It is an interesting 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 consumed, played an important part in the unusually frequent occurrence of this phenomenon.
Photo by Henry King] [Sydney.