MAMMALIA. 417 
is short and slender. The pouch opens backwards. C. castanolis, from 
South Australia, is the only species known. 
Group 2. Carnivora. 
Fam. 1. Dasyurtp, includes Marsupialia, whose habits are either carni- 
vorous or insectivorous. ‘The second and third toes of the hind foot disunited 
and well developed ; the thumb, or first toe, is small or absent. The tail is 
hairy, and not prehensile. There are eight incisors in the upper jaw, and 
six in the lower; the canine teeth are well developed ; the molar teeth 
either with trenchant crowns, or with the masticating surface presenting 
numerous prickly points. Several fossil species of this family have been 
found in Australia, to which continent the recent species are also confined, 
with one exception only, the Phascogale melas, which is a native of New 
Guinea. 
The genus Myrmecobius contains but one species from western and 
southern Australia (M. fasciatus), remarkable for the number of its teeth, 
four incisors in the upper jaw and three below, two canines above and two 
below, and eight molars above and nine below, fifty-two in number, the 
molar teeth provided with prickly points. The head is somewhat depressed 
above; the muzzle elongated; the snout naked; the nostrils lateral ; the 
ears of moderate size, and pointed; tongue very long and slender. The 
legs are rather short and strong; five toes to the fore and four toes to 
the hind feet. The tail is long and bushy. The female is destitute of 
pouch, and has apparently eight mamme, arranged in a circle. 
The genus Phascogale embraces quite a number of species, having four 
incisors above and four below, canines as usual, three pre-molars and four 
molars on each side, making in all fifty teeth. The feet are provided with 
five toes; the inner toe of the hind feet is in the form of a small, nailless, 
prehensile thumb. The tail is either clothed with short hair throughout, or 
with short hairs only on the basal portion, the apical having long and bushy 
hair. The female is sometimes destitute of the pouch; the mamme are 
eight, arranged in a circle. In the first section, that of Phascogale proper, 
of which P. penicillata is the type, the terminal half of the tail is clothed 
with very long and bushy hair. In the second section, the Antechinus, the 
tail is clothed throughout with very short hairs. The P. flavipes and 
leucogaster are examples of this section. 
The genus Dasyurus is characterized by having the incisor teeth equal, 
eight above and six below. There are two pre-molars and four molars on 
each side, which, with the usual number of canines, makes forty-two teeth. 
The tail is long, and well clothed with long or moderately long hairs. 
Some species have no inner toe to the hind feet. The Dasyuri inhabit the 
continent of Australia and Van Diemen’s Land. They are all of moderate 
size, and nearly all have the fur spotted. D. hallucatus, from North 
Australia, is the smallest species ; the D. maculatus has the tail spotted, as 
well as the body, and is confined to Van Diemen’s Land. 
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