136 THE DASYURES. 



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

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

 young ones he found two grey specimens (the Z). 

 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 penlcUlata. 



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- 

 cumajius,) 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 



