﻿154 ALi,EN*s naturalist's library. 



naked, without well-defined pads. Body blotched with white. 

 Two pairs of premolar teeth ; the upper molars, save the last, 

 very strong, triangular in form, and much shorter and wider 

 than in the preceding genus. 



Like the latter, the genus Sarcophilus is now represented 

 only by a single Tasmanian species, although a second one, 

 which became extinct before the historic period, formerly in- 

 habited the mainland of Australia. The affinities of the genus 

 appear to be closer with Thylaciniis than w^ith Dasyin'us, 

 although by many writers the Tasmanian Devil is placed 

 among the latter animals. 



I. THE TASMANIAN DEVIL. SARCOPHILUS URSINUS. 



DiddpJiis ursina^ Harris, Trans. Linn. Soc, vol. ix., p. 176 



(1808). 

 Dasyurus iirsiniis, Geoffroy, Ann. Museum, vol. xv., p. 305 



(1810). 

 Saf'cophihis wsinus^ F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm., vol. iv., pt. 



70 (1837) ; Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 259 



(1888). 



Characters. — Fur thick and close, consisting largely of soft 

 woolly under-fur. General colour black or blackish-brown, 

 with a variable number of white patches on the neck, shoulders, 

 rump, and chest, the latter being alone constant. Ears hairy, 

 with well-marked tufts at the base; soles of feet marked, 

 coarsely granulated, and without pads, but a small transversely 

 striated pad at the tip of each toe ; tail short, and uniformly 

 thickly haired. Length of head and body about 28 inches; of 

 tail 12 inches. 



Distribution. — Tasmania. 



HaMts. — Like the Thylacine, the Tasmanian Devil, as the 

 animal under consideration, from its ferocity and destructive 



