76 Tasmanian Devil in Victoria. [vok'xxix. 



Queenscliff, Gisborne, on the surface near the shores of Lake 

 Corangamite, near Camperdown, and, among other bones of 

 still existing marsupials, on a kitchen midden or native camp 

 of the aborigines, between Warrnambool and Port Fairy. 

 These remains are now in the National Museum, and, from 

 their appearance, are so recent that they might easily have 

 belonged to an animal which lived but a few years ago. In 

 discussing this matter at a recent meeting of the Field 

 Naturalists' Club, a member stated that he had seen an animal 

 in the Werribee Gorge, near Bacchus Marsh, which, he thought, 

 could only be a Tasmanian Devil. Little weight was attached 

 to this statement at the time, but, curiously enough, an 

 animal was sent to the National Museum, Melbourne, a few 

 days ago, which was at once recognized as a full-grown female 

 Tasmanian Devil. It was killed at Tooborac, beyond Kil- 

 more, about 63 miles from Melbourne. Mr. W. E. Prince, 

 who forwarded the animal, says : — " It was got by Mr. Thomas 

 Mason whilst wood-cutting. His dog smelt it out and attracted 

 his attention by repeatedly barking. Upon cutting open the 

 log he secured the specimen." The question now to be deter- 

 termined is whether this is an introduced specimen escaped 

 from confinement or a survivor of the Devils which we know 

 existed at no very distant period in Victoria. Its wild, 

 retiring nature, which leads it to seek the seclusion of the most 

 rugged and inaccessible localities, and its strictly nocturnal 

 habits, are in favour of the latter theory, which is further 

 strongly supported by the remarkably recent appearance of 

 some of the skulls found in widely-separated localities. On the 

 other hand, it is known that some of the travelling circuses 

 which visit the chief country towns carry small menageries as 

 a special attraction, and may have included some of these 

 animals ; or the curator of some country park or other person 

 may have introduced one or more as a novelty. Has any such 

 animal been known to have escaped and remain uncaptured, 

 and, if so, where and how long ago ? Mr. Le Souef, Director 

 of the Zoological Gardens, states that during the existence of 

 the Zoo two or three have been known to escape from there, 

 but all were recaptured shortly afterwards. He is not aware 

 of any having been kept in confinement in Victoria outside 

 the Zoo. It is an animal which, once seen, could not be mis- 

 taken. It is about the size of a bull-dog, with a rather massive 

 head and powerful teeth, quite black in colour, with usually 

 a white V-shaped marking across the chest, and occasionally 

 two or three white patches on the body. During the day it 

 inhabits hollow logs or holes in the ground, and when disturbed 

 expresses its anger by a kind of yelling growl. — Jas. A. Ker- 

 shaw, Acting Director, National Museum, Melbourne. 



