DASYURUS MAUGEI. 135 



and does not project in the form of a tubercle, as in 

 D. macrourus. 



This species inhabits Van Diemen's Land and 

 New South Wales. 



Dasyurus Maugei, Black Variety. 

 Dasyunis viverrinus. Geqf. Ann. du Mus. iii,, p. 360. 



Description. — Black, with a purple-brown tint, 

 beneath, brown or greyish brown, back and sides of 

 body with largish scattered white spots ; tail slightly 

 bushy, of an uniform black or black-brown colour ; 

 legs and feet dark brown : the hairs on the ears of 

 the same colour as those of the head. The fur on 

 tlie back is grey at the base, that on the belly is pale- 

 grey at the base : the hairs of the moustaches are 

 long and of a black colour. Ears large, somewhat 

 pointed. 



Length from nose to root of tail, 14| inches ; of 

 tail, 9 inches — without including the long hair at 

 the tip. 



Observations. — The tint of this animal varies slight- 

 ly ; it is sometimes nearly a pure black on the back, 

 but a purple-brown tint is usually observable — the 

 white spots vary somewhat as to size and number, 

 there are usually a few small white spots on the head 

 — the fur is not very soft but rather long. 



This animal, which has by all naturalists been 

 regarded as a distinct species, I\Ir. Gould discovered,* 



* Proceedings of the Zoological Society for Nov., 10 1840, 



