ORDER MARSUPIALIA: MARSUPIALS 37 



primitive carnivorous hunters" (Fleay, 1932, p. 68). The species 

 now has complete legal protection in Victoria. 



"Probably never abundant in South Australia, the stronghold of 

 the species was in the south-eastern portion of the State. It is 

 possible that some few still exist in the less closely settled areas 

 of the South-East." (Jones, 1923, p. 88.) 



In Tasmania it "is regarded as one of the settlers' greatest pests, 

 owing to the toll it will take of his poultry" (Lord and Scott, 1924, 

 p. 269). "The enemy of the settler's chickens, it is only natural 

 that this species should be reduced in numbers, especially in the 

 settled districts. Even so, this hardly accounts for the scarcity of 

 this species in the more Southern Tasmanian localities in the last 

 few years. In the North-West the species is still fairly common." 

 (Lord, 1928, p. 22.) 



There are additional records of nocturnal raids on poultry on 

 the mainland of Australia, and this habit naturally reacts against 

 the species. "All three dasyures are doomed to extinction, since 

 they are killed whenever met with by the man on the land" (Jones 

 and Manson, 1935, p. 34) . "It is now being replaced by the domestic 

 cat and the fox" (Raven, 1924, p. 25) . However, "it is able to kill 

 wallabies and fairly large birds," and "one succeeded, after a 

 severe battle, in killing a large tom-cat" (Le Souef and Burrell, 

 1926, pp. 322-323). Although Lydekker wrote in 1894 (p. 160) that 

 "its skin is but little valued by furriers," it must be remembered 

 that many furs, formerly in little demand, now bring good prices. 



While the Dingo is generally considered responsible for the ex- 

 tinction of the terrestrial Tasmanian Devil and Tasmanian Wolf in 

 Australia, opinion seems divided as to whether it has seriously 

 affected the status of the arboreal Spotted-tailed Tiger-cat on the 

 mainland. E. Le G. Troughton (in litt., April 16, 1937) believes that 

 this species, by reason of its furtive and aggressive disposition, 

 should survive indefinitely in the dividing ranges of the east coast. 



Slender Native Cat; Slender Spotted-tailed Tiger-cat 



DASYURUS GRACILIS Ramsay 



Dasyurus gracilis Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales, ser. 2, vol. 3, 

 p. 1296, 1888. ("Bellenden-Ker Ranges," northern Queensland.) 



The Slender Native Cat is one of those species which, as far as 

 known, has always been very rare. Apparently less than half a 

 dozen specimens are on record all from northern Queensland. 



General color, above and below, deep blackish brown with white 

 spots; tail spotted and closely furred, with a terminal tuft on the 

 upper side. Total length, about 23 inches; tail, 9.3 inches. (Ramsay, 

 op. tit., p. 1296.) 



