48 KATUHAL HISTORY SKETCHES. 



and I think breeds but once in the year. I don't know 

 how it is with the wild dog, but I fancy none of the bush 

 animals here have more than one litter in the year. The 

 little squirrel is not gregarious, but generally dispersed 

 in pairs throughout the forests. These animals are not 

 true squirrels but belong to the Petaurists. 



The Cuscus or Tiger-Cat is rather a rare animal, very 

 like the British polecat in shape and size ; and I fancy, 

 like that animal, it lives much by the side of the creeks and 

 swamps. It is sparingly dispersed over the thick bush, 

 and I generally found them singly. The colour is deep 

 chocolate-brown, irregularly spotted with white, and the 

 tail, which is long and thin, is also spotted. It is strictly 

 carnivorous ; but the hind foot has a thumb, like the opos- 

 sum. It is a shy, solitary animal, and rarely seen, although 

 I have oftener killed them by day than night. They 

 must be very destructive to the small game in the bush. 



One of the commonest of all the bush animals is the 

 little Native Cat or Dasyure, a pretty little animal, about 

 the shape and size of a ferret ; but the nose is sharper, 

 the ears are large and pricked, and the tail is long and 

 brushy, nearly the length of the body. The general 

 colour is light sandy brown, with white spots ; but there 

 is a beautiful variety, jet black spotted with white. This, 

 however, is rare and very local, and, unlike the black 

 variety of the wild dog, is a distinct species ; and a black- 

 and-white spotted cat is never found among a litter of 

 sandy ones. The native cat is a small beast of prey, 

 very destructive to birds, especially poultry, and eggs. 



