230 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



reclining to bask in the sun, a strange habit in a 

 semi-nocturnal animal. In deep sleep it lies on one 

 side fully extended ; the uppermost ear remains erect, 

 thus confirming the original description of Harris. 

 A remarkable feature (of this individual, at any rate) 

 is its silence; during repeated observations the writer 

 never heard it utter any sound, thus contrasting 

 sharply with the savage alertness of the Tasmanian 

 devil in an adjacent cage, ever ready, though sun- 

 blinded, to bite and to utter its ferocious sobbing 

 growl. The keeper, however, stated that the 

 thylacine would hiss or grunt if disturbed. 



In view of the fast-increasing rarity of the marsupial 

 wolf, it is interesting to remember that thylacines are 

 bred in one of the Australian zoolog^ical gfardens : 

 this will perhaps by the foundation of a menagerie 

 race stave off the day when it shall have vanished 

 for ever. Specimens were exhibited in the Adelaide 

 collection during 1900-01, and at Melbourne in 

 1900-02 : perhaps some of the Australian stock was 

 sold in Europe, for the collections at Berlin and in 

 the New York Zoological Park have recently 

 contained specimens — both of them young animals, 

 apparently. These youngsters are amusingly like 

 puppies ; the New York animal is seen standing to 

 be photographed in the most approved "good dog" 

 style, though doubtless any sheep left to his mercies 

 would be very effectually shepherded, once and 

 for all. 



