SUB-FOSSIL REMAINS FROM KING ISLAND. 
GENERAL REMARKS ON THE Species OF Dromamus INHABITING 
THE IsLANDS OF Bass Srralr. 
It is a matter of great regret that in the early days of 
Australian exploration so few specimens of the fauna of the islands 
of Bass Strait were preserved. We know now, when it is too late 
to do more than gather together—and that with diffieulty—such 
remains as we can secure of their skeletons, that these islands were 
the home of a species of Emu distinct from that of the mainland of 
Australia, and probably also from that of Tasmania. The early 
inhabitants of the islands were naturally not in the least interested 
in natural history, save so far as the animals that they found 
inhabiting the primeval scrub were good to eat. Their only object 
was to capture as many seals and sea lions as possible, and 
whilst doing this they replenished their larder by exterminating as 
many birds and mammals useful for food as they could secure. 
Péron records the fact that on King Island Cowper and his 
associates had actually trained their dogs to go out by themselves 
and hunt down Emus and Kangaroos.* When they had killed 
their prey the dogs returned to camp, and, “par signes non 
équivoque,” announced their success, and then led the men to the 
places where their victims lay dead. On Kangaroo Island, by 
means of one dog trained by the English sealers, and presented to 
the French naturalists, the latter were able to capture twenty-seven 
Kangaroos alive, and numberless others that were killed and 
eaten. Péron says that Kangaroos are so easily killed by a trained 
dog that a few of these would not take many years to exterminate 
all the former on Kangaroo Island. 
Péron also relates that the English fishermen had actually 
domesticated the Wombats, which went out during the day into 
the forests in search of food, and returned to their shelter huts at 
night. We may be permitted to accept this statement with some 
reserve, Péron and his associates were very hospitably treated by 
the English sealers when they were in a very uncomfortable plight, 
owing to their ships having to stand off suddenly from the coast ; 
indeed, if it had not been for Cowper and his friends the Prench 
naturalists would have had at least a very unpleasant time, so that 
naturally everything that they say about their rescuers anid their 
surroundings is not likely to suffer from any lack of friendly 
and appreciative description. 
If Cowper really domesticated the Wombat for the purpose of 
securing a ready food supply, then this is the first case on record 
of any such thing in regard to marsupials. How, in what must 
have been a relatively short t space of time, he had trained them to 
* «Voyage de découvertes, &c.,” vol. ii., p. 1S. 
+ Loe. cit., vol. ii., p. 14. 
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