THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 67 



when these sciences can boast more disciples than they now possess 

 in this part of the globe. 



From what I have advanced in these remarks, it will be seen 

 that Tasmania is singularly poor in fossil mammalian remains, and 

 what few have been brought to light are of very recent date com- 

 pared with those which the Australian mainland has furnished. The 

 cause of the extinction of the Sarcophilus and Thylacinus on the 

 " continent," and the non-existence of the Dingo in the island at 

 any time, is a subject which has exercised the minds of leading 

 Australian palseontologists for many years; but up to the present time 

 no light has burst through the clouds which envelope the mysterj''. 



I may here observe that Mr. Bonwick, in his Daily Life of the 

 TasmanianSy has given me credit, in connection with the late Dr. 

 Milligan, F.L.S., for the discovery of the fossil bones of the labyrinth- 

 odon reptile in the sandstone of the Queen's Park, Hobart. This is 

 incorrect, inasmuch as they were brought to light by workmen employed, 

 in quarrying the stone used in the construction of Government House. 

 In p. 292, Mr. Bonwick says : — " That which especially distinguishes 

 the labors of Mr. Wintle and Dr. Milligan was the discovery of a 

 species of huge batracian leptile, the Labyrinthoden, in the Hobart 

 Town sandstone." 



Our author seems to think this conclusive evidence of the sand- 

 stone in question (which undoubtedly is a member of the coal 

 measures of southern Tasmania), being of mesozoic age ; but he 

 had evidently forgotten that remains of the labyrinthodon have beea 

 found in true carboniferous strata in Europe, from whence they 

 range up through the Permian to the Triassic system, and in 

 which latter system this singular reptile appears to have become 

 extinct. It is, therefore, as much palfeozoic as it is mesozoic, and 

 consequently is not in itself sufficient data on which to assign the 

 formation in Avhich its remains are found, to the secondary epoch. 



I have pointed out in the foregoing remarks the marked difference 

 that exists in much of the living and fossil Fauna of Tasmania 

 and the Australian mainland. The cause of the extinction of the 

 Thylacinus and Sarcophilus here I believe is due to the existence of 

 the dingo, who has preyed upon them. Had that animal been a 

 denizen of the forests of Tasmania, there is little doubt that the 

 Thylacinus and Sarcophilus would not be met with now committing 

 nocturnal raids upon the settlers' sheep. One other singular fact is 

 the complete absence of the Koala (native bear) Pharcolarctos^ and 

 the great bat, Pteropus poliocephalus, or flying fox ; and add to 

 this no tortoise inhabits the streams, and no non-venomous snakes, 

 such as tree-snakes or pythons of any kind ; and no flying phalanger^,, 

 Buch as the flying squirrel exist there. The absence of these creature?,, 

 so common to this mainland, is indeed unaccountable, considering how 

 recently, in a geological sense, the island was part and parcel of this 



