SUB-FOSSIL REMAINS FROM KING ISLAND 
Emu remains were scarce. Every bone that would bear 
handling was collected. Very dilligent search was made lor any 
portions of the skull or sternum, but although the whole area was 
carefully examined several times, but few fragments of skulls or 
sterna were found. Very incomplete portions of the sternum were 
occasionally found imbedded in the firmer soil beneath the sand, 
but every attempt to remove them resulted in their crumbling 
away. The remains of the eggs were frequently met with either 
in small fragments in the loose sand, or in patches imbedded in the 
firmer soil beneath. In one or two instances fully half the shell 
was found completely flattened out and fractured into small frag- 
ments, with the surface more or less removed by the action of the 
driving sand. 
Exposure to the sun and rain had rendered many of the bones 
extremely fragile, so that when disturbed, however carefully, they 
broke into small fragments. 
Fairly complete skeletons of Wallabies and one or two Emus 
were found lying in the more compact soil beneath the sand, but 
the most careful attempt to remove them again resulted in failure. 
Although most of the remains were found on the extreme south 
point of the island, they were also met with on several parts of the 
west coast wherever a sand blow had started. Bones of Wallabies, 
Wombats, Emus, and JDasyures were found fairly numerous on an 
extensive sand blow near the Porky Hiver, some 6 miles north of 
Currie Harbor. These were, however, less complete and much 
more fragile than those obtained from the south. That so many 
bones should be gathered together in one spot is doubtless to be 
atti ibuted to the fact that in the early days, before the advent of 
tin* white man with his sheep, this area was one of the most fertile 
spots in the island, and was probably a much frequented and 
favourite feeding ground. 
The collection contains remains of the following animals 
1. Dromauis minor. Spencer. 
2. *Tachyglossa aculeata, var. setosa. Shaw. 
3. * Macropus billardieri. Desm. 
4. *Macropus ruficollis. Desm. 
A * Pseudochirus cooki. Desm. 
6. *Po to rous sp. 
7. Phascolomys ursinus. Shaw. 
8. *Phascologale minima. Geoff, 
h. Dasvurus bowlingi. Sp. n. 
10. Mus sp. 
Of these animals the six marked with an asterisk form uni t of 
the present fauna of the island, but their bones are interminoled 
under the sand dunes with those of the other three that are ~ 
extinct. We will deal at further length with these three * 
C«] ‘ 
now 
