A re-examination of the skeletal characters of Wynyardia bassiana, an extinct Tasmanian marsupial.

Thirty years ago (P.Z.S. 1900, pp. 776-794) Sir Baldwin Spencer described and named the fossil Marsupial that had been brought to light by a fall of the cliff face at Table Cape, Tasmania. Since that time Wynyardia has taken a definite place in all speculations concerning the phylogeny of the Marsupials, and has lent support to more than one hypothesis dealing with the history of the Australian Didelphians and their route of entry into the island continent. Some years ago an examination of the cast of the fossil suggested to me the advisability of a reinvestigation of the characters of the animal, but the cast appeared to provide an inadequate basis upon which to conduct such a study. During a visit to Hobart in 1925 I discussed with Mr. Clive Lord, Director of the Tasmanian Museum, the possibility of submitting the original specimen to a thorough reexamination and of providing a series of dioptrographic drawings of the fragments. Upon my return to Australia in 1930 this was made possible by the kindness of the Director and Trustees of the Tasmanian Museum, who permitted me to have the most important fragments of the skeleton in my charge in Melbourne. I greatly appreciate the liberal policy that dictated this action, and rendered the present study possible