DASYIIRE, dasq-iir (from Gk. Sack, dasys, shaggy • otipd, oura, tail). A marsupial of the family Dasyuridte, which includes various highly generalized carnivorous and insectivorous forms of Australasia allied to the opossums, and closely representative of Tertiary forms found fossil in South America and elsewhere. Their hind and fore limbs are approximately equal, and the toes (of which the second and third of the hind feet are entirely free) are well devel oped and clawed; their tails are long, hairy, curling, and not prehensile: their dentition is earnassial, the canines often being large tusks, and there arc eight large incisors in the upper jaw; and a c:ecum is lacking. Many of the dasyures are strong, fierce, cat-like beasts of prey, scattered over Australia, New Guinea, and especially prevalent in Tasmania, where, as also in southeastern Australia. they have become rare owing to the war made upon them by the colo nists. All are mainly terrestrial and live in burrows.
Prominent among these beasts is the thyla eine, or Tasmanian zebra-wolf or pouched dog (Thylacinus eynocephalus). it is very wolf-like in appearance, but somewhat smaller than the common with shorter hair, a long teretc, comparatively smooth tail, and more nminled ears. Its color is grayish-brown, with the hinder part of the back and root of the tail barred with blackish stripes to points cm the thinks. It dwells in rocky dens, seeks its prey at night, and until reduced in numbers was a destructive pest to the flocks of sheep.
Another is the ferocious Tasmanian devil (Sareaphilas ursinus), which is a heavy, power ful, long-furred, almost black animal resembling a bear. but only about the size of a badger, and having a long, thick tail. It also is decidedly nocturnal, sleeping by day in some dark lair or burrow, and attacking sheep and lesser prey by night, nothing being safe from its strength and ferocity; but this pest is now nearly extermi nated.
On the continent of Australia several very eat-like or civet-like dasyures occur, of which the handsomest is the spotted 'native cat,' nearly as large as a house cat; hut some of this genus (Dasymms) are much smaller. To the genera Phascologale and its allies belong a variety of small insect-eating dasyures greatly resembling rats and mice in their appearance, and living mainly on insects, birds' eggs, etc.; and another now very rare form (Antecliinonlys laniger) has much the form and appearance of a jerboa. Fi nally there must be mentioned the banded ant eater (Myrinceobins fasciat us), "which derives its special interest from the circumstance that it comes closer to some of the extinct marsupials of the Secondary rocks of Europe than does any other living type." This animal is about the size of a squirrel, but has a viverrine form and long, somewhat bushy, tail. In many of the dasyures the pouch is rudimentary, but here the female has no pouch, "the young, when first born, being merely concealed by the long hair of the belly as they cling to the teats (four in num ber)." Its teeth are all small and adapted to eating the insects that constitute its fare— mainly ants and termites, which are gathered by the long and protrusile tongue. Hence it is found chiefly in the sandy plains of southern and western Australia, where it dwells in the hollows of ant-hills and similar retreats. Its general hue is white beneath, and on the upper part dark chestnut-red marked by broad trans verse bars of white. See MAasurrAm.A; and Plate of PHALANGERS.