J"'^^" 1 Mahony, Bones, &c., near Wavynamhool. 43 



ON THE BONES OF THE TASMANIAN DEVIL AND 

 OTHER ANIMALS, ASSOCIATED WITH HUMAN 

 REMAINS NEAR WARRNAMBOOL : WITH A NOTE 

 ON THE DUNE SAND. 



By D. J. Mahony, M.Sc, F.G.S. 



{Read before the Field Naiuralisls' Club of Victoria, loth June, 191 2.) 



Among the sand-hills which fringe the coast between Warrnam- 

 bool and Port Fairy there are many reHcs of aboriginal 

 inhabitants. Ashes and blackened soil mark the sites of their 

 cam]i fires ; shell heaps (consisting largely of Turbo, Haliotis, 

 and Donax) indicate one source of their food, and implements 

 of flint and other rocks and bone witness the state of their 

 progress towards civilization. In addition to the shells there 

 are also numerous bones lying on the surface of the sand, many 

 of them greatly weathered, but some in a fairly good state of 

 })reservation. Among them are the bones of the blackfellows 

 themselves, of whales, seals, fish, and other marine animals, 

 of birds and of animals, including the rabbit. Some of these 

 animals were no doubt used for food by the blacks, and others 

 chanced to die where their remains are now found, but the 

 fact that most of them are associated with the middens 

 indicates that a large proportion must be grouped with the 

 other camp remains as having been accumulated by the natives. 

 A small collection of jaws and other parts suitable for identifica- 

 tion was made. Mr. J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S., of the National 

 Museum, has kindly identified them for me, and I am also 

 indebted to him for a revision of the nomenclature used in this 

 paper. The following is his list, to which I have added the 

 popular equivalents : — 



Jaws. 



Macropus, spp. Two, jiossibly j species Kangaroo 



SarcopJiilus ursimis, i specimen . . Tasmanian Devil. 



P/iascoln))iys iniichclli, 2 specimens . . Common Wombat. 



Dasyuyus vivcrrinus, 2 specimens . . Nati\'e Cat. 



Trichosiiriis (?) vulpcciila, 2 specimens Common Phalanger. 



Pseudochiriis (?) peregrinus, 2 specimens Ring-tailed Phalanger. 



Perameles, sj). . . . . . . Bandicoot. 



Teeth. 



Macropus, sp., probably M. giganteiis (the Common or Grey 

 Kangaroo) or M. nijiis (the Great Red Kangaroo). Seven 

 incisor teeth. 



Portion of a large tooth, too imperfect for determination. 



Skull. 

 Mils (?) dcciiinanus. Imperfect, very recent . . Kat. 



