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. 



Fig. 254. — The Viverrine Dasyure {Dasyurus 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 viverrinus), has round white spots 

 irregularly distributed over its fur, which is 



Fig. 255. — The Tasmanian Devil {Dasyurus ursinus 



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 ursinus), 

 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. II. 



58 



