136 THE DASYURES. 



during his stay in Van Diemen's Land, to be a variety 

 of the preceding, (Z). Maugei.) In a litter of four 

 young ones he found two grey specimens (the D. 

 Maugei,} and two black he states however, that the 

 black variety is much more rare than the grey. 



Instances are common in which we find black 

 varieties of animals usually otherwise coloured, but 

 I do not recollect an instance in which coloured 

 varieties have been found, in a state of nature, of 

 animals typically black ; this circumstance, together 

 with the fact, that the black specimens are compara- 

 tively rare, has induced me to retain the name of 

 Maugei for the species in preference to that of 

 viverrinus. 



BRUSH-TAILED PHASCOGALE. 



Phascogale penicillata. 

 PLATE VIII. 



Phascogale penicillata, Temm. 



Dasyurus penicillatus, Geoff. Ann. du Mus. iii., p. 361. 



Didelphys penicillata, Shaw. 



Tapoa Tafa, White, Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales. 



Description. About the size of a rat, (Mus de- 

 cumanus,) ears large ; tail rather long and very 

 bushy, excepting at the base ; colour of the upper 

 parts of the body grey, of the under parts white. 

 The fur is long, rather soft and loose : the hairs, 

 which constitute the chief clothing of the animal, on 

 the upper parts of the body are grey ; greyish- white 



