52 DASYURUS ALBOPUNCTATUS. 



to differ from the other ones by the greater development 

 of the rudimentary thumb; last of all our Das. albopunc- 

 tatus from Papua. 



The second group is only represented by Dasyurus vi- 

 verriuus or maugei from South-East- Australia. At first 

 sight this species, of the size of a Pole-cat, resembles 

 the true Dasyuri by having like these the fur covered 

 with white spots ; but is at once distinguished by the 

 entire want of a rudiment of a thumb at the hind-feet, 

 as well as by its tail , which , being covered with long 

 hair, is bushy, but on the contrary, somewhat shorter, 

 its whole length equalling only that of the rest of the 

 body without the head. 



The third group is formed by Dasyurus ursinus from 

 Tasmania, wanting, like Das. viverrinus, all trace of a 

 thumb at the hind feet , but forming , for the rest , a spe- 

 cies, in many instances deviating from all the others of the 

 genus. This animal has the size of a cat. It is stouter 

 in all its parts than the other Dasyuri; the head is 

 greater and less elongated; the tail, occupying only 

 one third of the length of the rest of the body is covered, 

 like this part, with rugged hair, whose black colour is 

 only interrupted by white at the chest, behind the shoulders 

 and at the base of the tail. 



Returning to the true Dasyuri , the largest of all , Das. 

 maculatus, attains, the tail included, a total length of 

 three feet one inch (French measure). The ears measure one 

 inch and two lines. The hairs of the tail measure about 

 nine inches. The colour of the fur is a fine red-brown , 

 interrupted by irregular larger or smaller white spots scat- 

 tered over the body and tail , but the head is unspotted 

 and the under-part of the animal is yellowish white. — 

 Dasyurus geoffroyi is a smaller species , its whole length 

 attaining hardly two feet. It is easily recognized by its 

 great ears, whose height measures eighteen lines. As to 

 the hair of the tail, there is no difference between this 

 species and the foregoing; but the principal colour of 



Note» from the Leyden IMuscuxn , Vol. II. 



