A hand-book to the marsupialia and monotremata

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Identifier: handbooktomarsup00lydekk (find matches)
Title: A hand-book to the marsupialia and monotremata
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Lydekker, Richard, 1849-1915
Subjects: Marsupials Monotremes
Publisher: London : E. Lloyd
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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more highly developed genera above re-ferred to have their principal home, and where, judging by itsdistribution, Dromicta must obviously at one time have lived. L WESTERN DORMOUSE-PHALANGER. DROMICIA CONCINNA. Dromicta condftna, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1845, P* ^ ; Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 146 (1888).Phalangista (Dromicia) concinna, Waterhouse, Nat. Hist. Mamm., vol. i., p. 314 (1846).Phalangista (Dromicia) neilli, Waterhouse, op. cit., p. 315. Characters.—Size small; form very light and delicate. Generalcolour bright fawn; hairs of under-parts pure white through-out ; dark eye-mark nearly obsolete. Ears long, rather narrow,evenly oval. Limbs fawn-coloured externally, white on theinner side. Tail slender. Only three pairs of molar teeth.Length of head about 3 inches ; of tail slightly more. This species may be distinguished from all the other threeby the hairs of the under-parts being pure white throughouttheir length, instead of slate-coloured at the roots ; and also by
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THE DORMOUSE-PHALANGERS. II3 the minute size of the fourth premolar, which is not larger thanthe other teeth of the same series. Distribution, —South and West Australia. Habits.—In size rather inferior to the common English Dor-mouse, this beautiful httle creature is abundantly and generallydistributed over the Swan river district. Being strictly noc-turnal in its habits, it secretes itself, according to Gouldsaccount, during the day in the hollows of trees, and at nightleaves its retreat for the flowering branches of low shrubbytrees. At night it is very active, and when in confinement willthen leap across its cage in pursuit of insects. Another ob-server states that it is found under the dead bark of eucalpytusand other trees, and in holes in trees that have been excavatedby fire. In such situations, if due caution be observed, it mayreadily be captured by the hand. II. COMMON DORMOUSE-PHALANGER. DROMICIA NANA. Phalangista nana^ Desmarest, Nouv. Diet. dHist. Nat., vol. XXV., p.

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