. Australia and New Zealand. Natural history; Natural history. NATURAL HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA 71 We now come to the Dasyuridse, or " native cats," which are carnivorous marsupials preying upon the other groups. These are elegant creatures, variously marked and spotted, but fierce and intractable. They dwell among rocks and in holes, and feed chiefly on small mammals and birds. The larger species form the genus Dasyurus; but the genera Phascogale and Antechinus are no bigger than rats and mice, and feed probably on insects and molluscs. Somewhat allied to these is the rare and curious b
. Australia and New Zealand. Natural history; Natural history. NATURAL HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA 71 We now come to the Dasyuridse, or " native cats," which are carnivorous marsupials preying upon the other groups. These are elegant creatures, variously marked and spotted, but fierce and intractable. They dwell among rocks and in holes, and feed chiefly on small mammals and birds. The larger species form the genus Dasyurus; but the genera Phascogale and Antechinus are no bigger than rats and mice, and feed probably on insects and molluscs. Somewhat allied to these is the rare and curious banded ant-eater of Western Australia {Myrmeco- hius fasciatus). It is the size of a squirrel, beautifully. banded with white stripes, and with a long and somewhat bushy tail. It has fifty-two teeth, a greater number than any known mammal except the great Armadillo, and it is believed to feed chiefly upon ants. It is probably a representative of one of the most ancient types of mammal, since, more nearly than any other living animal, it re- sembles some of the marsupials of the Secondary period, especially the Microlestes from the Trias of Wurtemburg. Two nauch larger and more destructive Dasyuridse inhabit Tasmania—the Thylacinus, or " tiger-wolf," and the Sar- cophilus, or " native ; The former is the size of a w^olf, the latter somewhat smaller. Both are ferocious and. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Wallace, Alfred Russel, 1823-1913. London E. Stanford
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