120 LIFE OF FLOWER 



nected by the recently discovered extinct Burramys, 

 which differs from the existing members of that group 

 by the large size of the secant premolar. 



After discussing numerous points in connection with 

 the problem, Dr. Broom states that those who believe 

 Thylacoleo to have been carnivorous, " evidently consider 

 that the molars have been reduced through their functions 

 being taken up by the large premolars. But could the 

 large premolars take up the molar function could they 

 grind ? Even those who favour the idea of Thylacoleo 

 being a vegetable-feeder, admit that the premolars were 

 cutting teeth, and the difficulty of imagining a herbi- 

 vorous animal without grinders is got over by supposing 

 that its food was of a soft or succulent nature." 



But for the creature to have lived on succulent roots 

 and bulbs, the vegetation of that part of Australia 

 where it lived must, urges Dr. Broom, have been quite 

 different from what it is at the present day ; and we 

 have no justification for assuming any such change to 

 have taken place. Moreover, an animal that could only 

 slice, and not grind up, vegetable food, could apparently 

 subsist only on ripe fruit, and such is to be met with in 

 Australia only at one season of the year, when, owing 

 to the abundance of frugivorous mammals, little, i any, 

 is allowed to fall to the ground. 



"It is probably however," adds Dr. Broom, "un- 

 necessary to discuss further what food Thylacoleo could 

 possibly have obtained, when we have, as I hold with 

 Owen, the most satisfactory proof from its anatomical 

 structure as to what food it did obtain. It must be 

 admitted that Thylacoleo had enormous temporal muscles, 

 and it is perfectly certain that such muscles would not 



