208 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



cry somewhat resembles the bark of a dog, but is hollow-sounding, 

 and it occasionally grunts or snorts. 



NATIVE CATS. — The Dasyures, which are universally known in 

 Australia as "Native Cats," are Marten or Civet-like creatures, 

 slender in form, and with long narrow ears and long hairy tails. 

 In all species the body is spotted. Their range comprises 

 Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea and the adjacent islands. The 

 Native Cats are both flesh-eaters and insect-eaters, and, generally 

 speaking, their mode of life is arboreal. They are not loved 

 by owners of poultry ; but despite their depredations in this 

 direction, one cannot but sorrow for their rapidly decreasing 

 numbers. 



The Common Native Cat (Fig. 162) (D. vherrinus) is a slenderly 

 formed animal of medium size, clad in pale-grey or black fur, thick 

 and soft. The large white spots on the body enhance the beauty 

 of the animal's appearance, and the unspotted bushy tail, with its 

 white tip, does not lessen the effect. A fierce little beast, the 

 Common Native Cat is not averse to the neighbourhood of man. It 

 is said that they will haunt the vicinity of a homestead where there 

 are hen-roosts and take toll during hours of darkness. It is with the 

 Dasyures evidently a case of cupboard love. The Common 

 Dasyure is found in Eastern New South Wales, Victoria, South 

 Australia and Tasmania. 



BANDICOOTS.— The Bandicoots (Fig. 163) are small burrowing 

 and omnivorous animals, ranging over Australia and New Guinea. 

 They are of quaint but delicate form, the ears being long and narrow 

 and the nose short and slender. The hind-limbs are longer than 

 the fore pair and the tail is long and not prehensile. Lydekker 

 regards the Bandicoots as a highly specialized offshoot from the 

 Dasyures. 



The Bandicoots are all ground dwellers, and walking through 

 the bush one frequently frightens the little animals from under- 

 neath bushes and logs. They are agile, and dart quickly into their 

 burrows when disturbed while feeding. Of the many species of the 

 True Bandicoots (Genus Peramcles) only one can be described 

 here. The Short-Nosed Bandicoot (P. obesula) is the most widely 

 distributed species, being found in all parts of Australia south of the 

 tropics and in Tasmania. The length of the head and body is about 

 fourteen inches and of the tail five and a half inches. Rather 

 stout in form and with coarse golden-brown fur, pencilled with 



