Dear Sir

I have taken the liberty to address to you a copy of the “Sydney Mail” containing a short review of Professor Owens last paper on the Thylacoleo Carnifex which in my opinion was nothing but a harmless Phalanger and not more carnivorous than these animals are at the present day.¹ I am anxious to obtain your opinion on the subject because the Thylacoleo is a most interesting animal allied to nearly every one of our marsupial families   Do you believe that it was “the fellest of Carnivores” as Professor Owen thinks² & will you kindly favour me with a few lines at your convenience.—

I often observe our animals & one fact which I once communicated to Prof. Huxley will interest you. The Frilled Lizard Chlamydosaurus Kingii which is common in N. E Queensland has a habit of squatting on its haunches raising the arms clear off the ground & on one occasion I have noticed it hop, for a short distance. It is certainly the only Saurian which possibly can perform such a feat & I believe it has the longest hindlegs of any species of the tribe. Prof Huxley had written a paper on Archæopteryx & in consequence of reading it I made the experiment & succeeding in startling my specimen kept in a large enclosure on to its hind quarters.—³

I sent Prof. H a skeleton by the next mail but have never heard from him since. If you care about having a specimen I can supply you & if I can be of service to you in any other way please command me. I may not be able to send you Photogr. of my sketches/restorations of Thylacoleo &c this mail & I enclose rough tracing of some of the principal objects referred to in my review.—

I may also tell you that I discovered traces of man at the Breccia Cavern of Wellington & of the tooth I found you shall also have a Photo.—⁴

I hope to receive a line from you & remain dear Sir | yours very | sincerely | Gerard Krefft