MARSUPIALIA. 127 
hairs; size that of the Norway Rat: lives on the trees in New 
Holland, and pursues insects. ." 
Dasyurus minimus, Geoff., Schreb. pl. 152, B. C.. (The Dwarf 
Phascogalis.) Scarcely larger than a mouse, fur soft and red- 
dish. From the south of Van Dieman’s Land. 
Dasyurus, Geoff.(1) 
Two incisors and four grinders in each jaw less than the Opossums, 
so that they have only forty-two teeth ; their tail, every where cover- 
ed 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, 
&c. Their mouth is not so wide, their muzzle not so pointed as 
those of the Opossums 3 their hairy ears arealso shorter. They do 
not climb trees. 
Did. ursina, Harr. Lin. Trans. IX, ‘xix, f. 2, and Encycl., 
Supp. f. 6. (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 Dieman’s Land, and is nearly the size of the Badger. 
Das. macrourus, Geoff., Peron. Voy. pl. xxxili, Schreb. CLI, 
B, a. (The Long-tailed Dasyurus.) Size of a Cat; tail as 
long as the body; fur brown, spotted with white, both on the 
_ body and tail. The tubercle. of the thumb is still well marked. 
‘ in this species, but in the following ones it can no more be 
seen. 
Das. Maugei, Geoff., Voy. de Freycin. Zool. pl. iv, Schreb. 
CLI, B, b. A kind of olive colour, spotted with white; no 
spot on the tail; a little smaller than the preceding. 
Did. viverrina, Shaw.,'Gen. Zool. CXI; White, Bot. Bay, 
App. 285; Schreb. CLII, B, c. Black, spotted with white 5 
nf spots on the tail; a third less than the first. 
i 
. Perametes, Geoff.(2)—Tuytacts, Illig. 
The thumb of the hind foot short, like the first Dasyuri, and the 
two following 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 
; 
~~ 
(1) Dasyurus, hairy tail. See Mem. de M. Geoff., Ann. du Mus. If, p. 353, and 
XV, p. 301. ' r ' 
(2) Pera, purse, Meles, Badger. See Mem. Geoff. Ann. du Mus. tom. IV. 
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