Wha-Tapoua-Roo.

Rare c.18th engraving of the Common Brushtail possum.

Common name: Common brushtail possum
Aboriginal names: Koomaal in Wudjari, Mudhay in Yuwaalayaay, Mudhay in Gamilaraay / Gamilaroi / Kamilaroi, Mudhay in Yuwaalaraay
Modern binomial name: Trichosurus vulpecula (Recent synonyms Trichosurus fuliginosus)
First described: Kerr, 1792
Distribution: Australia wide

John White’s description:
This animal is about the size of a racoon, is of a dark grey colour on the back, becoming rather lighter on the sides, which terminates in a rich brown on the belly. The hair is of two kinds, a long hair, and a kind of fur, and even the long hair, at the roots, is of the fur kind. The head is short the eyes rather prominent the ears broad, not peaked. The teeth resemble those of all the animals from that country I have hitherto seen. The incisors are not continued into the grinders by intermediate teeth, although there are two teeth in the intermediate space in the upper jaw, and one in the lower. The incisors are similar to those of the kangaroo, and six in number in the upper jaw, opposed by two in the lower, which have an oblique surface extending some distance from their edge, so as to increase the surface of contact. There are two cuspidati on each side in the upper jaw, and only one in the lower five grinders on each side of each jaw, the first rather pointed, the others appear nearly of the same size, and quadrangular in their shape, with a hollow running across their base from the outside to the inner, which is of some depth and another which crosses it, but not so deep, dividing the grinding surface into four points. On the fore foot there are five toes, the inner the shortest, resembling, in a slight degree, a thumb. The hind foot resembles a hand, or that of the monkey and opossum, the great toe having no nail, and opposing the whole sole of the foot, which is bare. The nails on the other toes, both of the fore and hind foot, resemble, in a small degree, those of the cat, being broad and covered and the last bone of the toe has a projection on the under side, at the articulation. Each nail has, in some degree, a small sheath, covering its base when drawn up. The tail is long, covered with long hair, except the under surface of that half towards the termination, of the breadth of half an inch, becoming broader near the tip or termination this surface is covered with a strong cuticle, and is adapted for laying hold.

From John White’s, Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales

References:
Ferguson, J. A. Bibliography of Australia Volumes 1-8, Canberra 1976 97.
Hill, J. The Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages. San Diego 1974 1858.
Nissen, C. Die illustrierten Vogelbucher. Stuttgart 1995 ZBI 4390.
Abbey, J.R. Travel in Aquatint and Lithography 1770-1860. London 1972 605.
Wantrup, J. Australian Rare Books. Sydney 1987 17.
Crittenden, V. A Bibliography Of The First Fleet. ACT 1982 248.
Strahan, R. A Dictionary of Australian Mammal Names. Sydney 1981 pp. 88-89.

Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 87340
State Library New South Wales: Call Number: MRB/Q991/2A2
National Gallery Victoria: Accession Number2012.31
State Library Victoria: CCF 919.44 W58
National Museum of Australia: Object number 2007.0035.0001
Sydney University Library: record=b1288848~S4