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AJLATILA &

J Gould. and HC Richter, del.et. lath

DASYURUS HALLUCATUS, Gow.

North Australian Dasyurus.

Dasyurus hallucatus, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part x. p. 41.—Waterh. Nat. Hist. Mamm.

‘ : ; WOll, i, jo, 4g
Cat. of Mamm. in Brit. Mus., p. 98. 01.1. p. 434,

Tue small number of specimens of the Dasyurus hallucatus that have come under my notice renders it unsafe

for me to affirm that it is or is not subject to the variations in colour which are observable in D. Vwerrinus ;
but I have reason to believe that such is the case. All the examples that have yet been sent to Europe have
been procured in the extreme northern portion of the Australian continent, and the greater number of them
from the Port Essington Settlement on the Cobourg Peninsula.

Mr. Waterhouse having instituted a very careful examination and comparison of this animal with the
other members of the genus, I cannot do better than give bis remarks verbatim from his “Natural History
of the Mammalia,” above referred to.

“This is the smallest species of the true Dasyures, being a trifle less than D. Viverrinus or D. Geoffroy: ;
with the latter animal it might be confounded, having like it a thumb to the hind feet; upon a close exami-
nation, however, I discovered several characters by which it might be easily distinguished. It is of smaller
size than D. Geoffroy:, of a darker colour; with the ears of a paler colour and clothed with pale hairs ; the
longer hairs which cover the root of the ear externally are whitish; the toes of the hind foot are longer,
since I found them to be seven lines in length in Aaducatus, and only six and a quarter in a specimen of
Geoffroy’, which was of the same sex and of considerably larger size; and, lastly, I find the whole sole, both
of the fore and hind feet in D. Geoffroy’, covered with minute but distinct fleshy tubercles, as is also the
case in D. Viverrinus ; while in D. hallucatus 1 could scarcely perceive a trace of tubercles; and the fleshy
pads at the base of the toes and elsewhere, on which the tubercles were most distinct in Geoffroy?, are covered
with numerous oblique or transverse grooves; the pads, moreover, at the base of the toes, were much nar-
rower and proportionately longer.” :

“The fur is less dense and harsher than in D. Geoffroy’; the upper parts of the body dusky brown, in-
clining to black, but pretty freely pencilled with yellowish, and having numerous, irregular and Des
sides of the body; on the crown of the head are a few very
are white, but suffused with yellowish ; most distinctly so
s of the body are greyish ; ears

sized white spots, which extend likewise on the
small white spots; the under parts of the body
about the throat ; the cheeks, a large patch above the eye, and the sides a
pinkish flesh colour, thinly clothed with small pale-coloured hairs; immediately at the Daag externally t i
, and the part of the head immediately adjoining
lothed throughout with

bly pencilled with

hairs are longer and dense, and of a yellowish white colour i
the root of the ear has similar pale hairs ; the tail is immaculate, cylindrical,
basal third is brownish, but considera

longish hars airs 7 neans bushy; the ;
gish harsh hairs, but by no mez y3 region of the pouch

ae . . ack the feet are brownish, and the
black, and the remaining two-thirds almost entirely black ; the feet are b ;

ie x . ”
is clothed with very dark red hairs appearing as 1f stained with blood.

ry 7 5 .
lhe figures are of the natural size.

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