6 
GENUS SARCOPHILUS. 
Dasyuri with a short and stout body, short and broad head, and powerful compact teeth, which are packed 
so close together that there is not a line of space between them ; legs rather long, tail short and thick. 
Ursine Sarcophilus or Tasmanian Black Dasyure (Sarcophilus ur sinus). 
Fur coarse, of moderate length, and black, here and there with a white spot or two ; these spots occur most 
frequently on the breast or loins. 
Mr. Waterhouse gives the measurement of a skull as 4 inches 6 lines, another in the Australian Museum 
collection measures 6 inches, and is 4f inches wide. The ferocity of these animals is almost beyond belief; they attack 
every living thing, and are most destructive to sheep, though not larger than a common Terrier Dog. 
One of them, and by no means a large one, escaped not long ago, and killed in two nights fifty-four fowls, 
six geese, an albatross,* and a cat. Having been recaptured in what was considered a stout trap, with a door 
constructed of iron bars as thick as a lead-pencil, he made his escape by twisting this solid obstacle aside, almost 
doubling it up with his powerful teeth. To give some idea of the strength of the animal, we mention that the 
blacksmith who repaired the trap could not bend the bars back into their position without proper tools. When caught 
in a fox-trap the black Dasyure often bites off the fastened limb and escapes. A specimen in the Museum Collection, 
the largest ever secured, had only three legs : one of the hind limbs was clean gone, and not even the trace of a 
stump remained visible. The fossil Sarcophilus laniarius of the Wellington Caves was a still more powerful animal. 
Numerous bones and teeth prove the existence of large numbers of these creatures during post-pleiocene times, which 
must have made havoc among the more peaceful animal tribes. There can be no doubt that they were a terror even 
to some of the gigantic creatures, whose young they probably devoured whenever any opportunity offered. 
We have noticed before the total absence of large fossil Carnivores, which were supposed to be necessary to 
check the undue increase of the herbivorous marsupials ; but with such strong and blood-thirsty creatures as this small 
Dasyure , no great Carnivores were required to carry out the designs of the Creator. 
The habitat of this animal is restricted to the island of Tasmania. 
GENUS TtlYLACINUS. 
Dasyuridce, with the outermost incisors exceeding the others in size ; the three foremost of the upper true 
molars with a much-elevated central cusp, an anterior and posterior cusp but little elevated, and an internal lobe ; the 
hindermost of the upper true molars transverse ; the true molars of the lower jaw nearly resembling those of the upper 
jaw, but destitute of internal lobe, and with the central cusp more elevated ; the humerus with the inner condyle 
perforated ; the hind-foot destitute of an inner toe ; a well-developed pouch with four mamma?, but without marsupial 
bones. The pre-molars resemble those of the genus Phascoga/e, and are three in number in each ramus. 
Dog-headed Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalm). 
About equal in size to the common Wolf; tail about half the length of the body; fur short, and closely 
applied to the skin ; general colour grey-brown ; the back with about twelve to fourteen transverse black bands, narrow 
and short on the fore-parts of the back, longer and broader on the hinder-parts ; region of the eye pale ; tail with 
short fur, nearly like that of the body, excepting on the under-side of the apical portion and at the tip, where the 
hairs are comparatively long. The Thylacine stands lower on the legs than either Wolf or Dog, and in every respect 
resembles the smaller Dasyures ; like the Sarcophilus it is a most ferocious and formidable animal, which will soon 
overpower even a Cow or Horse if driven by hunger to attack them ; it is also stated that the creature is not afraid 
of man, and will show a formidable front when driven to extremities. 
We know one large fossil species, which was the largest Marsupial Carnivore on record, and inhabited the 
mainland of Australia in former ages ; at the present time the Thylacine is restricted to Tasmania. 
Short-headed Thylacine (Thylacinus brevicem). 
This species has been founded on two skulls obtained by Mr. Masters on the Ouse River in Tasmania. The 
skulls are those of young animals, and show the distinguishing characteristics well. The head is shorter, the pre-molars 
* The albatross was a pet bird, which had lived in the Museum ground for months. 
