VERTEBRATA: MAMMALIA. 671 



he believes that its diet was of a vegetable nature. On the 

 other hand, Professor Owen is of opinion that Thylacoleo was 

 probably carnivorous in its habits. This distinguished natu- 

 ralist thus regards Thylacoleo as an ancient form of the Dipro- 

 todont Marsupials (Kangaroos, &c.), adapted for carnivorism, 

 but not anatomically related to the true Carnivorous or Poly- 

 protodont Marsupials (such as Thylacinus and Dasyurus}. 

 Under any view of its habits, Thylacoleo is a very remarkable 

 type of the Marsupials ; and it must have attained a very great 

 size, since the length of the crown of the great praemolar is 

 not less than two inches and a quarter. 



