Miscellaneous. !245 



' Gi(/artina acicitlaris. Lam. Rocks, Camden Fort, June 1851 : very 

 sparingly. 



Ginnania furcellata, Mont. On a shell in 5 to 6 fathoms. 



Ceramimn fastiyiatum, Harv., var. Below Queenstown, Sept. 

 1850 : east up in considerable quantity. 



C.fabelligerumy J. Ag. Cork Harbour: very rare. Kinsale : 

 more plentiful. 



C. acanthonotum, Carm. Kinsale: rare: Sept. 1851. 



Callithamnion virgatiilum, Harv. On Ceramium diaphanum. 



Cladophora Macaliana, Harv. Taken by the dredge— probably 

 common on our coast. 



C. Hutchinsice, Harv. With the preceding. 



C. ffracilis, GriiF. 



C. re/racta, Kiitz. 



Anatomical Observations on the Dasvurus (Sarcophilus) ursinus. 

 By M. W. Vrolik. 



The zoological garden of Amsterdam has recently furnished an 

 opportunity of clearing up several points in comparative anatomy, by 

 placing under the scalpel of Professor Vrolik, the body of the Dasyurus 

 ursinus, a singular animal which has lived for a considerable time in 

 that place. 



The Dasyurus (or Sarcophilus) ursinus is an inhabitant of Van 

 Diemen's Land ; it belongs to the group of carnivorous marsupials, 

 and bears a resemblance to the Bears both in its general structure and 

 its plantigrade movement. This animal disappeared rapidly before 

 the increasing population, and has taken refuge in the most remote 

 portions of the colony, where it goes by the name of " devil." 



The dental system of the Dasyurus presenting a great analogy with 

 that of the true Carnivora, it became an interesting pomt to ascertain 

 how far the rest of its organization agreed with this external cha- 

 racter, and it is to this point that M. Vrolik has directed his atten- 

 tion. The results of his labours are as follows : — 



The head of the Dasyurus ursitius resembles that of the Hysena in 

 form, although it possesses several characters peculiar to the mar- 

 supials — such as the great opening of the bones of the palate which 

 produces a resemblance to the same part in birds — the situation of 

 the carotidian canals, which traverse the body of the sphenoid bone 

 — the existence of four true molars in place of three — the internal 

 elongation of the posterior angle of the lower jaw, &c. Besides these 

 characters of the head, there are several other peculiarities which 

 coincide to place the Dasyurus among the true marsupials — such as 

 the structure of the wrist, the union of the two bones of the leg, 

 and more especially the existence of the marsupial bones. 



The temporal muscles and masseters, the muscles of the neck and 

 of the extremities, are the same as those of the true Carnivora ; in 

 fact, it is only in the abdominal muscles that we observe any differ- 

 ences, and these result from the presence of the marsupial bones and 

 of the abdominal pouch. The brain is like that of other marsupials, 

 bearing a considerable resemblance in structure to that of birds. The 

 respiratory and circulatory organs scarcely offer any peculiarities, ex- 



