MARSUPIALS AND CETACEANS. 327 



most imminent danger. He informed me that, when a female 

 kangaroo has been hard pressed by dogs, he has seen her, 

 while she has been making her bounds, put her fore-paws into 

 her pouch, take a young one from it, and then throw it as far 

 on one side as she possibly could out of the way of the dogs. 

 But for this manoauvre her own life and that cf her young one 

 would have been sacrificed. By getting rid of the latter she 

 has frequently effected her escape, and probably returned after- 

 wards to seek for her offspring. 



Cetaceans. 



The following is quoted from Thompson : 



In 1811, says Mr. Scoresby, one of my harpooners struck a 

 sucker, with the hope of leading to the capture of the mother. 

 Presently she arose close to the ' fast boat,' and seizing the 

 young one, dragged about 600 feet of line out of the boat with 

 remarkable force and velocity. Again she rose to the surface, 

 darted furiously to and fro, frequently stopped short or suddenly 

 changed her direction, and gave every possible intimation of 

 extreme agony. For a length of time she continued thus to act, 

 though pursued closely by the boats ; and, inspired with courage 

 and resolution by her concern for her young, seemed regardless 

 of the dangers which surrounded her. At length one of the 

 boats approached so near that a harpoon was hove at her ; it 

 hit, but did not attach itself. A second harpoon was struck, 

 but this also failed to penetrate ; but a third was more successful, 

 and held. Still she did not attempt to escape, but allowed 

 other boats to approach ; so that in a few minutes three more 

 harpoons were fastened, and in the course of an hour afterwards 

 she was killed. 1 



Mr. Saville Kent communicates an article to 'Nature ' 

 (vol. viii., p. 229) on ' Intellect of Porpoises.' He says :- - 



The keeper in charge of these interesting animals is now in 

 the habit of summoning them to their meals by the call of a 

 whistle ; his approaching footsteps, even, cause great excitement 

 in their movements. . . . The curiosity attributed to these 

 creatures, as illustrated by the experiences of Mr. Matthew 

 Williams, receives ample confirmation from their habits and 

 confinement. A new arrival is at once subjected to the most 

 importunate attention, and, advancing from familiarity to con- 



1 Passions of Animals, p. 154. 



