PHA'LANGER, or PHALANGIST, Phalangista, a genus of marsupial quadrupeds, hav ing a rather short head, short ears, short woolly a long prehensile tail, sometimes completely covered with hair, and sometimes only at the base, and scaly towards the extremity; the dentition somewhat various as to the number of premolars, the incisors always six in the upper jaw and two in the lower, the true molars eight in each jaw, the canines of the lower jaw very small, and close to the incisors. The fore-paws are strong, and capable of much use in grasping food and bringing it to the mouth. A number of species inhabit Australia and the islands to the n. of it.. They live chiefly in trees, and feed on insects, small animals of various kinds, eggs, and fruits. The SOOTY PHA LANGER or TAroA (I'. fuliginosa) is pretty common in Van Diemen's Land, and is much sought after on account of its fur, which is of a uniform smoky-black color, or tinged with chestnut, warm and beautiful. The tail is very bushy. It is nocturnal in
its habits.—The VULPINE PIIALANGER (P. 'eulpina), also called the VULPINE OPOSSUM, is very plentiful and widely diffused in Australia. The length of the animal from the point of the muzzle to the root of the tail is about 26 in. ; the tail is about 15 in. long, and is bushy; the color is grayish-yellow on the upper parts, and tawny-buff below. The fur is not so much valued as that of the last species, but is used for various purposes. The flesh, although it has a strong peculiar flavor, is a favorite food of the Australian abo•igines.—Nearly allied to this genus, is the genus CZISCUS, of which one species, whit ish-g•ay, spotted with brown, is plentiful in the Molucca and Papuan islands.—Allied to the phalaagers also are the flying phalangers (q.v ).