264: DASYTTEID^. 



1883, p. 197; Flow. ^ Gars. Cat. Ost. Coll. Surg. u. p. 741 (1884) ; 

 Jent. Cat. Ost. Leijd. Mus. p. 304 (1887) ; Coll. Zool. Jahrb. ii. 

 p. 854 (1887). 

 Dasyurus vtrsiniis, Gieh. Bronn's Kl. u. Orim. vi. Abth. v. pi. xviii. 

 figs. 4 & 5 (skull) (1874) (nee Harris). 



Spotieb-iailed Dasttjee. 



Size comparatively large ; form thicker and heavier than in the 

 other species. Pur thick and close ; underfur abundant, dark smoky 

 brown. General colour brownish, with a marked rufous or 

 orange tinge. Face covered with very coarse stiff jtairs, pale 

 grizzled brown. Ears rather shorter than in the other species, 

 very thinly haired, the bases of their inner margins tufted with 

 yeUow-tipped hairs. Body grizzled brown, the longer, coarser 

 hairs with a broad subterminal band of rufous or orange. White 

 body-spots large, many of them from 20 to 25 millim. in diameter, 

 mostly confined to the sides of the neck and body and to the outsides 

 of the limbs, the back being almost or quite without them. Chin, 

 chest, and belly white or pale yellow, the bases of the hairs slate, 

 except on certain scattered spots corresponding to the lateral body- 

 spots. Inner sides of limbs, the feet, and toes coloured on the whole 

 like the belly ; claws large and powerful. Tail very long, brown or 

 rufous brown, largely spotted, like the body, with white. Mammae 6. 



Shull considerably larger than in the following species. Nasals 

 long, narrow, but little expanded behind, their greatest not twice 

 their least width. Interorbital space broad and smooth, its edges 

 produced outwards into a blunt, rounded postorbital projection, 

 behind which comes the strongly marked intertemporal constriction. 

 Sagittal and lambdoid crests strongly developed. Palate unusually 

 complete, with only a few small and irregular vacuities. Bullae 

 swollen, elongated along a line running from the edge of the 

 palate outwards and backwards, , their diameter along this line 

 nearly or quite twice that in the direction at right angles to it. 



Teeth as usual, only distinguishable from those of the other 

 species by their larger size. Combined lengths of first three molars 

 from 18 to 20 millim. 



Dimensions. 



6- 

 e (skin).' 

 Adult, 

 millim. 



Head and body 620 



Tail 470 



Hind foot 76 



Ear (c.) 24 



Skull, see p. 272. 



Hah. Eastern and South-eastern Australia, from Central Queens- 

 land to Tasmania ; most common in the latter. 

 Type not in existence, 



