34 



me by Mr. Charles Gould. They are distinct from the Mt. 

 Wellington species, and may belong to either the genus Mus 

 or Hapalotis. Mr. Gould also mentions having seen, at Mac- 

 quarie Harbour, a third species with unusually large eyes ; 

 this will also probably prove to be a new Hapalotis. 



In the list of Phalangers, Mr. Krefft has added Phalangista 

 Tulpina, thus making separate species of our black and grey 

 Opossums, though Mr. John Gould in his Mammals of Aus- 

 tralia points out (as I think correctly) that the grey is only 

 a variety of the black (P. Fiiliginosa.) The black and grey 

 breed indiscriminately and specimens may be obtained of all 

 shades of colour from one to the other. 



The beautiful little flying opossum (Belideus Sciureus) must 

 now be added to this list, as it has been long acclimatised on 

 the northern side of the island and is frequently met with. 



Amongst the Dasyure family I scarcely think the evidence 

 sufiicient to warrant the division of the genus Thylacimis into 

 two species. In the copy of his pamphlet which Mr. Krefft 

 kindly sent me, and which I have now the honor to lay before 

 the Society, he has included photographs of the skulls of 

 Thylacinus cynocephalus and hi^eviceps (so-called) but, while I 

 admit that remarkable differences exist in these two specimens, 

 I shall not be at all surprised if a large series of skulls should 

 exhibit degrees of transition from one to the other and thus 

 prove T. hreviceps to be a variety rather than a species, and in 

 connection with this subject I would remark that abnormal 

 forms are constantly found in the marsupial skeleton. 



Years ago I frequently heard of the short-nosed or bull-dog 

 tiger, but could only get very contradictory accounts from the 

 various settlers and shepherds who spoke of them. I have 

 examined over 50 specimens in all, many of them carefully, 

 and though I have found some variation in the shape of the 

 skull, that variation has never been sufficient to divide the 

 species, and, I am bound to say, no such marked difference as 

 that exhibited in Mr, Krefft' s specimens ever fell under my 

 notice. To show how little reliance can (in a question of this 

 sort) be placed in the statements of men who are not 

 naturalists, I would call your attention to the two specimens 

 of Thylacinus Cynocephalus from our Museum, now before you, 

 a male and female. Some time back, a visitor from the Upper 

 Derwent volunteered the information to our Curator, Mr. 

 Eioblin, that the larger specimen was a greyhound tiger, and 

 the smaller (the female) a bull-dog tiger ; the head is some- 

 what shorter and broader in the female specimen, and hence 

 his conclusion. A strong argument against Mr. Krefft's short 

 headed specimen being more than a variety is, I think, to be 



