Tertiary.'] PALAEONTOLOGY OF VICTORIA. [Mammalia. 



PLATES LXII. AND LXIII. 



SARCOPHILUS URSINUS (HARRIS SP.). 



THE TASMANIAN DEVIL. 



[Genus SARCOPHILUS (F. CUVIER). (Sub-Mngd. Vertebrata. Class Mammalia. Order 

 Marsupialia. Sub-order Polyprotodontia. Fam. Dasyuridae.) 



Gen. Char. Dental formula : Incisors, ; canines, -II ; premolars, -^- ; molars, 



. . 33 11 22 



; =42. Head, short, very broad, pointed; body, stout; toes, 5 on anterior feet, 4 on 



4 4 



posterior feet, the inner toe being reduced to a tubercle ; tail shorter than the body, conical, -with 

 short hair, or nearly naked. PremoJar teeth, with transverse and antero-posterior diameters 

 equal or nearly so.] 



DESCRIPTION. Teeth (upper jaw) : In the fossil the 6 incisors occupy a space 

 of 1 1 lines, gently curved, with convexity outwards, all close together ; there is a 

 shallow concave space (for point of lower canine) between the outer incisor and the 

 canine on each side, 2^- lines long. Canines, crown 7 lines long, 5 lines in antero- 

 posterior diameter at base, and slightly less (4 lines) in transverse diameter, very 

 broad oval in section, slightly arched backwards. Dental series from front of canine 

 to back of hind molar, 2 inches 4 lines. First premolar (p 2 ) moderately compressed, 

 obtusely triangular, posterior side nearly twice longer than the anterior, apex therefore 

 inclined forwards; length, height, and width of crown, each about 2 lines; a slight 

 cingulum at inner base. Second premolar (p 3 ) acutely triangular, posterior side only 

 slightly longer than the anterior ; longitudinal diameter, 3 lines, transverse diameter 

 slightly less ; height of crown, 3 lines. First molar (m 1 ), 5^ lines in longitudinal 

 diameter, 4^ lines transverse diameter ; posterior outer cusp large ; anterior cusp 

 smaller, undivided; inner lobe small. Second molar (m 2 ), length, 6 lines ; width, 6 lines ; 

 posterior cusp large ; anterior cusp, small, partially divided ; inner lobe moderate. 

 Third molar (w 3 ), length, 6^ lines ; width, 4 lines ; anterior lobe distinctly divided 

 into two cusps ; inner lobe small. Fourth molar ( 4 ), very small, transverse ; 

 transverse diameter, 3 lines ; longitudinal diameter, 2 lines ; of one external and one 

 median cusp, and a small inner lobe. (Lower jaw) : Molar series from front of first 

 premolar to back of fourth molar, 2 inches 3 lines. First premolar transverse, 2 lines 

 long, 3 lines wide, and height of crown 1^ lines. Second premolar triangular, 

 obliquely inclined forward from the anterior side, being only half the length of the 

 posterior; length, 3 lines ; width, 3 lines; height, 2^ lines. First molar inclining 

 backwards from the forward leaning of the second premolar ; anterior and posterior 

 cusps only slightly marked ; length, 4 lines ; width, 3| lines ; height of central 

 cusp, 3 lines. Second molar, with the anterior and posterior lobes well defined ; 

 hinder one largest ; length, 5 lines ; width, 3^ lines ; height of central cusp, 4 lines. 

 Third molar much higher and more acute; the anterior lobe twice as large as the 

 posterior one ; length, 5 lines ; width, 3 lines ; height of middle cusp, 6 lines. 

 Fourth molar largest ; middle cusp proportionately larger and more acute than in 



C 11 ] 



