ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



1635 



verely, while the molar teeth enable it to crush 

 bones with ease. 



As the Tasrnanian Devil is comparatively 

 slow of movement, it usually catches its prey by 

 a sudden spring, which it then eats greedily, 

 bones and all. It utters a disagreeable kind of 

 snort. It has three to four young, which when 

 too large to remain in their mother's pouch gen- 

 erally cling to her back. It lies up in hollow 

 logs or burrows during the day, coming out at 

 night to catch its prey. It is destructive to 

 poultry and lambs, consequently has few friends 

 and is being killed out of all settled districts. 

 Its color is jet black with a white horse-shoe 

 mark on the chest, but it often has patches of 

 white on other parts of the body. So far I have 

 not seen an albino specimen such as one rinds 

 among the kangaroos, wallabies, etc. 



THE KOALA 



The Koala or Native Bear as it is always 

 called, of which there is put one species. (Phas- 

 colarctus cincreu.i) is found in all the eastern 

 districts of Australia. It is strictly arboreal, 

 living in the eucalyptus trees, and sitting dur- 

 ing the day in a coiled-up position in a fork, 

 where it is more secure. On account of this 

 habit it is therefore easily shot, or killed by the 

 heavy bush-rires. Like phalangers. the young 

 cling to the back of the parent when they be- 

 come too large for the pouch. The querulous. 

 high-pitched note of the little ones is exactly 

 like the crying of a child, but the old animals 

 utter a prolonged, dee]) base note. This animal 

 is grey with white feet, and has thick, woolly 

 fur. It does not possess a tail. 



[The food habits of the Koala are a misfor- 

 tune to the zoological gardens of the world. 

 This animal is so very difficult to keep alive in 

 ■captivity that it rarely is seen in captivity out- 



side of Australia. We know of only one that 

 reached America alive, for which a price of 

 •1*900 was asked, but not given by us. Three 

 specimens which collectors attempted to bring 

 to us died at sea. — W. T. H.] 



An interesting little animal, Tarsipes rostra- 

 tus, that is not often seen in captivity is found 

 in Western Australia. It is only thirty-one 

 inches in length, and its tail three and one-half 

 inches. The color is grey, striped dorsally with 

 dark brown. Its principal food is insects, but 

 it also sucks honey from flowers. 



PHALANGERS OR AUSTRALIAN OPOSSUMS 



The Australian Phalangers, locally mis-called 

 opossums, are not carnivorous like the American 

 opossum, but feed entirely on vegetation ; euca- 

 lyptus leaves forming the principal part. They 

 live entirely in trees, and are nocturnal in their 

 habits, sleeping during the day in some hollow 

 or in their domed nest. They once existed in 

 very large numbers, despite having formed the 

 principal article of food of the aborigines, in 

 days gone by, but as their fur is of value for 

 rugs they have been shot and trapped unmerci- 

 fully and practically cleared out of many dis- 

 tricts ; over a million skins sometimes being ex- 

 ported annually from Australia. Foxes are 

 now taking their toll of them in southeast Aus- 

 tralia; catching them as they pass on the 

 ground from one tree to another. They climb 

 the trees by jumping quickly upwards with all 

 feet at once; the sharp claws being extended to 

 their fullest extent, and thus securing a firm 

 hold in the bark. They choose the upper side 

 of a tree should it be reclining in any way, and 

 a defined track will be made on the bark of one 

 that is much used, which serves to guide the na- 



aph by E. H. San 



TASMANIAN WOLK 



