THE TASMANIAN THYLACINE 2 29 



" Dierentuin " gives a good picture of a pair of 

 thylacine perched on a lofty crag ; it is perhaps the 

 only figure extant which gives a true idea of the 

 mountain habits of the species. Most pictures 

 of the tiger wolf seem from the shortness and stout- 

 ness of the limbs to have been drawn from young 

 animals. The adult thylacine is really a snaky beast, 

 slim of body and attenuated generally; its half- 

 starved appearance is doubtless heightened by the 

 peculiar stripes, which simulate the outlines of ribs. 

 The Regent's Park thylacine is active during the 

 early part of the day, taking exercise by running to 

 and fro — sleeping apartment to outer yard and vice 

 versa. In this pastime the head is held low to the 

 ground, like a sleuth hound's on scent. Doubtless 

 this is to enable the sense of smell to supplement 

 that of sight in the glare of sunlight ; Mr. Gunn has 

 recorded that wild thylacine if out by day move at a 

 very slow pace. The animal often pauses abruptly 

 as if to reconnoitre, and then stands motionless for an 

 instant with head raised, as shown in the illustration. 

 It takes little notice of the attendant entering the 

 yard, seeming half-blinded, like Harris's specimen, 

 by the light of day. When the sun becomes powerful 

 (lo a.m.), it frequently retires into its inner den and 

 curls itself up dog-like, recalling Miitzel's well-known 

 figure in the Royal Natural History. It may 

 however be seen in warm weather active at mid-day 

 (i 1-30) trotting briskly about its yard. It is fond of 



