THE TASMANIAN DEVIL. 487 
In this animal the marsupial bones are absent, their places being indicated by some 
fibrous cartilages that are found in the locality which these bones might be expected to 
fill. The character of the fur is not ve ry fine, but it is short, rather woolly, and closely 
set upon the animal’s skin. In front of the eye there is a small black patch, which runs 
round the eye, and surrounds it with a dark < line. 
AS may be imagined, from the very expressive name which has been appropriated to 
the animal which is represented in the engraving, its character is not of the most amiable, 
nor its appearance the most inviting. 
Few animals have deserved their popular titles better than the creature to whom the 
first colonists of Van Diemen’s Land unanimously gave the name of NatrvE Devin. The 
innate and apparently ineradicable ferocity of the creature can hardly be conceived except 
by those who have had personal experience of its demeanour. Even in captivity its sullen 
and purposeless anger is continually excited, and the animal appears to be more obtuse to 
kindness than any other creature of whom we have practical knowledge. Generally, a 
caged animal soon learns to recognise its keeper, and to welcome the hand that supplies 
Ay sean 
TASMANIAN DEVIL.—Didbolus wrsinus. 
it with food; but the Tasmanian Devil seems to be diabolically devoid of gratitude, and 
attacks indiscriminately every being that approaches it. 
I have frequently had opportunities of testing the character of this curious animal, and 
have always found it to be equally savage and intractable. Without the least cause it would 
fly at the bars of its cage, and endeavour by dint of teeth and claws to wreak its vengeance 
on me, while it gave vent to its passionate feelings in short, hoarse screams of rage. 
There was no reason for these outbursts of anger, for the animal behaved in precisely the 
same manner whenever any visitor happened to pause in front of its domicile. 
It is a very conspicuous animal, and not easily to be mistaken for any other species. 
The coat of the Tasmanian Devil is very appropriately black, dashed here and there with 
spots, patches, or stripes of a pure white, which afford a bold and singular contrast to 
each other. In different individuals there is considerable variety in the distribution of 
these two colours, but the character of the markings is similar in all. 
The general hue of the fur is a deep dead black, the fur being devoid of that rich 
silky glossiness which gives to the coats of many black animals so pleasing an effect. 
Across the breast there is nearly always a very conspicuous white mark, which in some 
