142 THE DASYURE3. 



upper side inclining to black ; the hairs on this part 

 are all short and adpressed. 



There are other diiferences between the present 

 species and that with \^-hich we are comparing it, 

 which may help to distinguish them, I allude to the 

 colouring of the head. In Phas.flavipes, the upper 

 lip, lower part of the cheeks, chin, and throat, are 

 white, and there is, moreover, a white spot beneath 

 the eye, whereas, in Phas. minima, no white is 

 visible, indeed the head is almost of an uniform colour 

 with the body, the hairs on the sides and upper parts 

 are black, slightly grizzled with yellowish, and on 

 the chin and throat they are grey, tinted with brown- 

 ish, especially on the chin. 



The specimen from which this description is drawn 

 up, is apparently a female, and furnishes the follow- 

 ing dimensions : — length from nose to root of tail, 5 

 inches 2 lines; tail, about 3 inches 5 lines j head 

 about 1 inch 2 lines; tarsus, to end of claws, 10 

 lines; it is from "Van Diemen's Land. 



The original of the above description is in the 

 Museum of Mr. Swainson, who kindly allowed me to 

 examine and describe it. 



This species sometimes attains rather a larger size 

 than is indicated by the dimensions given. I have 

 altered the name I had applied to it, of Swainsonii 

 into minima, Mr. Gould, who has recently examined 

 the original of Geoffroy's Dasyurus minimus, having 

 informed me that that animal was specifically identi- 

 cal with the Swainsonii, Geoffroy's specimen must 

 be young, being only four French inches in length. 



