MAIISUPIALIA. 75 



the three large ones is projecting and trenchant, almost like the carnivorous 

 tooth of a dog; their ears are hairy, and of a medium size. One species only 

 is known, the 



Did. cynocephala, Harris. Size that of a wolf, but stands lower ; grey ; 

 transverse black stripes on the crupper. It is very carnivorous, and pursues 

 all small quadrupeds. From Van Diemen's Land. 



PHASCOGALE, Temminck. 



The same number of teeth as the Thylacini, but the middle incisors are 

 longer than the others, and the back molars more bristled, circumstances which 

 approximate them more closely to the Sarigues. They are also allied to them 

 by their small size ; their tail, however, is not prehensile ; their hind thumb, 

 though very short, is still very apparent. 



Did. penicillata, Shaw. Ash-coloured; tail furnished with long black hairs; 

 size that of the Norway rat ; lives on the trees in New Holland, and pursues 

 insects. 



DASYURUS, Geojfroy. 



Two incisors and four grinders in each jaw less than the opossums, 

 so that they have only forty-two teeth ; their tail, every where 

 covered with long hairs, is not prehensile. The thumb of the 

 hind foot is reduced to a tubercle , or has even totally disappeared 



They are from New Holland, where they feed on insects and dead bodies ; 



they penetrate into houses, where their voracity is very inconvenient. Their 



mouth is not so wide, their muzzle not so pointed, as those of the opossums ; 



their hairy ears are also shorter. They do not climb trees. 



Did. ursina, Harr. (The Ursine Opossum.) Long rough black hairs, with 



some irregularly placed white spots ; the tail half as long as the body, almost 



naked underneath. Inhabits the north of Van Diemen's Land, and is nearly 



the size of the badger. 



PERAMELES, Geoffroy-f. THYLACIS, Hliger. 



The thumb of the hind foot short, like the first Dasyuri, and the two fol- 

 lowing toes united by the membrane as far as the nails ; the thumb and the 

 little toe of their fore feet are simple tubercles, so that there seem to be but 

 three toes. They have ten incisors above, the external ones separate and 

 pointed, and only six below ; but their molars are the same as in the opossums, 

 so that they have forty-eight teeth. Their tail is hairy, and not prehensile. 

 The great claws of their fore feet announce their habit of digging in the earth ; 

 and the tolerable length of their hind ones, a swiftness of gait. 



P. nasutus, Geoff. The muzzle much elongated ; ears pointed; fur a grey- 

 ish brown.' At the first glance it resembles a tenrec. 



The species belonging to the second subdivision of the Marsupialia have two 

 broad and long incisors in the lower jaw with pointed and trenchant edges 



Dasyurus, hairy tail. f Pera, purse ; Meles, badger. 



