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 very 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 ami- 

 able, 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 NATIVE DEVIL. The 

 innate and apparently ineradicable ferocity of the creature can hardly be conceived ex- 

 cept by those who have had personal experience of its demeanor. 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 recognize its keeper and to welcome the hand 



TASMANIAN DEVlL.-Diabolus urstaus. 



that supplies 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 endeavor 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 colors, 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 



