PHALANGISTA LANIGINOSA, Gouid.
Woolly Phalanger.

 

Ar the period of my visit to Australia, this species was abundant on most of the dngophora or «« Apple-
tree” flats of the Upper Hunter, particularly those of the Dartbrook district, and it is doubtless to be found
there still, and in all probability will be for ages to come. I mention this locality especially because there are
two nearly allied Phalangiste in New South Wales, which, when brought to this country and exposed in
our museums, undergo so great a change in the colouring of their fur as to render it exceedingly difficult to
distinguish them. These two nearly allied species are the Phalangista Cooki and the P. laniginosa figured
on the accompanying Plate. JI am the more certain of the specific distinctness of these two animals as
those keen observers, the natives, particularly impressed upon my attention that the animal from the flats
was different from the one frequenting the brushes which clothe the “ corries” of the great Liverpool Chain.
While in the country I had no difficulty in distinguishing them, and never had a doubt of their being
distinct ; but what was plain to me in Australia, I am unable to render so clear to the Mammalogists of
Europe; I have no doubt, however, that when the great country of Australia has sons of her own interested
in the subject, my views will be borne out and strictly verified, and it is for this reason that I have given
so particularly the precise locality in which my specimens were obtained; doubtless all similar districts in
Eastern Australia will also be favoured with the presence of this animal. J may remark that there is a
greater difference between the P. laniginosa and P. Cooki than there is between P. Cooki and P. fuliginosa,
which, indeed, may possibly be mere varieties of each other, although I have treated them as distinct.

My figure of P. daniginosa is taken from a fully adult male now before me. This animal is clothed in a
thick, short, woolly kind of fur, of a greyish hue, with a wash of rufous on the outer side of the limbs ;
has the throat and all the under surface white, and the tail not so extensively tipped with white as in its
near allies ; it is also of smaller size.

The following is a more minute description of the animal :—Fur soft and yielding to the touch ; general
interspersed on the back with numerous greyish-white hairs ;
yes and on the outer surface of the ears; lower
throat, under surface of the body
suffused with rufous ;

colour of the upper surface brownish grey,
head and neck suffused with rufous, particularly round the e
edge of the ear buff; whiskers black ; outer side of the limbs rusty red ;
and inner side of the limbs greyish white ; basal fourth of the tail brownish grey,
apical fourth white, the middle portion blackish brown.

The figures are fully the size of life.

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