

208 MAMMALIA— ORDER XI.—MARSUPIALIA. 



a short and broad muzzle, wide and rounded ears, an evenly-haired tail of 

 medium length, and plantigrade feet, in the front pair of which the toes are 

 armed with strong, curved claws ; while in the hind pair the first digit is 

 absent, and the naked soles lack well-defined pads. In colour the body is 

 blackish, flecked with white. As regards the dentition, this diflfers from 

 that of the thylacine in that there are only two pairs of pre molars in each 

 jaw ; while the upper molars, with the exception of the fourth pair, are 

 strong, triangular, and much shorter and wider. The distribution of the 

 Tasmanian devil, both now and in the past, is precisely similar to that of its 

 cousin the thylacine. 



Under the common title of native cats are included, in Australia, a number 

 of considerably smaller predaceous marsupials, usually showing a slender, 



weasel-like form of body, although a 

 few are more stoutly built. These 

 constitute the genus Dasyurus of zoolo- 

 gists, of which the leading character- 

 istics are as follows : — The ears are 

 elongated and narrow ; the bare nose 

 is marked by a deep, vertical groove 

 running down to the upper lip ; the 

 long tail is uniformly and thickly 

 haired throughout its length ; the feet 

 are plantigrade, with sharp, curved 

 Fig. Ill — Spotted-Dasydre claws, the first toe in the hinder pair 



{Dasyurus viiierrinus). being either rudimental or absent, and 



the partially or wholly naked soles of 

 the hind-feet are granulated. In all cases the body is marked with spots. 

 The pouch, which opens vertically downwards, contains either six or eight teats. 

 The teeth are numerically the same as in Sarcophilus, but much less strongly 

 developed. Dasyures are found alike in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, 

 and some of the neighbouring islands. They differ from the two preceding 

 genera, in that the majority are more or less completely arboreal in their 

 habits ; and they feed not only on flesh, but likewise on insects, being 

 especially destructive to birds and their eggs. The largest among the six 

 species is the spotted-tailed dasyure (D. macHlatiis), from east and south-east 

 Australia, and Tasmania, which may be compared roughly in size to a cat, 

 and differs from the rest by having the tail, as well as the body, spotted. It 

 is further characterised by having well-defined, transversely striated pads 

 on the soles of the feet, from which it may be inferred that its habits are 

 largely arboreal. The pouched-mice (Plinscologah), of which no less than 

 thirteen species are recognised, are smaller animals, differing from the 

 dasyures in the absence of spots on the fur, and the practical want of the 

 pouch in the female. In all, the form is slender and graceful ; the ears 

 are rounded ; the tail is long, but may be either bushy, crested, or 

 nearly bare, and the broad and short feet terminate in sub-equal 

 toes furnished with sharp, curved claws. In the hind-foot the first toe 

 is, however, short and clawlesa, and the soles of the feet are naked 

 and smooth, with five transversely striated pads, the first toe frequently 

 having its pad divided. Except in one species, where the first lower pair 

 are wanting, there are three pairs of pre-molars in each jaw. The pouched- 

 mice, which range over Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, the Aru Islands, 

 etc., are thoroughly arboreal animals, feeding exclusively on insects, ^nd 



