. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. TBE rOUCIIEB WEASELS. 217 on the authority of Mr. Gunn, that these animals are common only in the remoter parts of the colony, and used to be frequently caught at Woolnooth and the Hampshire Hills. They attack the Sheep at night, but are occasionally seen during the daytime, upon which occasions, perhaps from imperfect vision, their pace is very slow. Mr. Gunn also observes that the Thylacinus sometimes attains so large and formidable a size, that a number of Dogs will not face it. That gentleman denies that the. SKELETON OF THE DOG-HEADED


. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. TBE rOUCIIEB WEASELS. 217 on the authority of Mr. Gunn, that these animals are common only in the remoter parts of the colony, and used to be frequently caught at Woolnooth and the Hampshire Hills. They attack the Sheep at night, but are occasionally seen during the daytime, upon which occasions, perhaps from imperfect vision, their pace is very slow. Mr. Gunn also observes that the Thylacinus sometimes attains so large and formidable a size, that a number of Dogs will not face it. That gentleman denies that the. SKELETON OF THE DOG-HEADED THYLACINl'S, tail of the animal is compressed, as has been stated by some authors, and his observations do not confirm the aquatic habits which have been attributed to it. There are cartilages in the place of the marsupial bones ; but the pouch is well developed in the female Thylacine, and there are four well developed teats, each four inches long, indicating that it may contain four young ones at a time. The marsupium, or pouch, opens backwards, not, as in the Kangaroos and most others, forwards. GENUS PHASCOGALE (POUCHED ^\T:ASELS).—THE BRUSH-TAILED PHASCOCiALE.* This genus includes many species of small Weasel- or Rat-like Marsupials. They are small, insectivorous, and climb shrubs and trees in pureuit of their prey. The largest known is about the size of a common Rat. The kind inhabits New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia, and is a pretty little animal, having a long and soft fur, of a grey colour above and white or yellow-white under the body. The eyes are encircled with black, and there is a pale spot above and below the eye, and the hairs are blackest along the middle of the head. The ear is rather large and not furiy; the tail is about equal to the body in length, or seven inches to nine inches, and there is a portion near its end of about two inches in length, which is clothed with short, stiff haii-JS, and the rest has long and glo


Size: 2387px × 1047px
Photo credit: © Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecta, booksubjectanimals