ANTECHINUS MACULATUS, Gould. 
Spotted Antechinus. 
Antechinus maculatus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Dec. 9, 1851. 
The progress of civilization over the vast continent of Australia cannot fail to be the means of bringing to 
light many species of small quadrupeds at present entirely unknown to the zoologist ; and the immense brushes 
which stretch along the southern and eastern coasts in particular, will, I feel confident, afford many treasures 
in this department of zoological science. During my short rambles in some of those extensive brushes, I 
frequently saw among the fallen leaves and thick herbage, many small, agile, mouse-like marsupials, which 
I found it impossible to procure, as they were too light to spring the ordinary traps, however lightly they 
might be set, and I was unprovided with any more suitable contrivances for capturing them ; it must also 
be remembered that the difficulty of collecting them is much increased by their being all more or less noc- 
turnal in their habits. Mr. Strange, however, from time to time sends me, among other objects, one of 
these little quadrupeds ; and it is to him that we are indebted for our knowledge of the pretty species figured 
in the accompanying Plate, which was procured in the brushes near the river Clarence, a little to the south- 
ward of Moreton Bay. Contrarieties with regard to colouring and disposition of markings continually 
occur in the Australian Fauna, of which the present little animal offers another instance ; since, contrary to 
the normal rule, we find it ornamented on the lower instead of the upper parts of the body. 
The animal sent by Mr. Strange is a fully adult male and may be thus described : — 
The fur is short, dense, and closely applied to the skin ; the general tint of the upper surface is dark 
blackish brown, minutely grizzled with yellowish brown ; lower part of the flanks and the under surface of 
the body dark brownish slate-grey, ornamented with oblong spots of white arranged in irregular rows in the 
direction of the body : there is also a streak of white down the centre of the throat. 
The figures are of the natural size. 
