THE DASYURE FAMILY. 



201 



Stout legs, pointed tails, soft, thick, and 

 frequently spotted fur, and the whole bearing 

 give to these marsupials a striking resem- 



blance to the Viverrida, and more particularly 

 to the genets. The fore-feet have five, the 

 hind ones four toes with strong curved claws. 



Tig 254 — The Vnemne Dasyure (Dasyuriis viverrinus). 



These animals creep like Viverrida, roam 

 about by night, and commit great havoc 

 among the weaker animals. Mentally, how- 

 ever, they are not highly endowed, and they 



are easily caught in traps. The species 

 shown in fig. 254, the Viverrine Dasyure 

 [Dasyurus viverrinics), has round white spots 

 irregularly distributed over its fur, which is 



Fig. 255.— The Tasmanian Devil [Dasyurus urui: 



brown above and rather lighter beneath. The 



animal is fond of roaming about near the sea- 

 shore, and hunts principally after poultry. 



The Tasmanian Devil {^Dasyurus ur sinus), 

 fig- 255, was formerly the terror of the settlers 

 on account of the devastation which it wrought 



not only in the poultry-yards but even among 

 flocks of sheep, on account of the stupid 

 ferocity with which it would defend itself 

 against men and dogs-, and on account of 

 its remarkable tenacity of life. Its name 

 sufficiently indicates the hatred and terror 



Vol. n. 



S8 



