376 THE KANGAROO. 



AMONG the largest of the MacropicUe is the celebrated KANGAROO, an animal which is 

 found spread tolerably widely over its native land. 



This species has also been called by the name of giganteus, on account of its very great 

 size, which, however, is sometimes exceeded by the woolly Kangaroo. The average dimensions 

 of an adult male are generally as follows : the total length of the animal is about seven feet 

 six inches, counting from the nose to the tip of the tail ; the head and body exceed four feet, 

 and the tail is rather more than three feet in length ; the circumference of the tail at its base is 

 about a foot. When it sits erect after its curious tripedal fashion, supported by its hind- 

 quarters and tail, its height is rather more than fifty inches ; but when it wishes to survey the 

 country, and stands erect upon its toes, it surpasses in height many a well-grown man. The 

 female is very much smaller than her mate, being under six feet in total length, and the 

 difference in size is so great that the two sexes might well be taken for different species. 



The weight of a full-grown male, or "boomer," as it is more familiarly called, is very 

 considerable, one hundred and sixty pounds having often been attained, and even greater 

 weight being On record. The color of the animal is brown, mingled with gray, the gray 

 predominating on the under portions of the body and the under-faces of the limbs. The fore- 

 feet are black, as is also the tip of the tail. 



Without being truly gregarious, the Kangaroo is seldom seen entirely alone, but in 

 scattered groups of seven or eight in number, and even the members of these little bands are 

 not closely united, but are seen singly disposed at some distance from each other. There 

 are certainly instances on record where very large numbers of Kangaroos have been seen in 

 true flocks, herding closely together, and being under the superintendence of one leader. 

 These animals, however, belong to another species. 



As the Kangaroo is a valuable animal, not only for the sake of its skin, but on account of 

 its flesh, which is in some estimation among the human inhabitants of the same land, it is 

 eagerly sought after by hunters, both white and black, and affords good sport to both on 

 account of its speed, its vigor, and its wariness. The native hunter, who trusts chieHy to his 

 own cunning and address for stealing unobserved upon the animal and lodging a spear in its 

 body before it is able to elude its subtle enemy, finds the Kangaroo an animal which will test 

 all his powers before he can attain his object, and lay the Kangaroo dead upon the ground. 



There is also another but not so sportsman-like a method of killing the Kangaroo, which 

 is often in use among the aborigines, and which partakes of the nature of a bear "skal" 

 in Norway. 



A number of armed men associate themselves together, and, having laid deep counsel 

 about the plan of the hunt, proceed cautiously forward until they come upon a mimber of 

 Kangaroos. They then silently arrange themselves so as to surround the unconscious animals 

 which are feeding carelessly in the plain. At a preconcerted signal a portion of the hunters 

 issue from their concealment and shower their deadly missiles upon the Kangaroos. The poor 

 alarmed creatures flee from the danger, and are met by another party of the same band, who 

 also ply their spears and clubs with deadly effect. Backwards and forwards run the bewil- 

 dered animals, assailed on all sides by sharp and heavy missiles hurled by the strong arm and 

 directed by the keen eye of the native hunters ; and so well are the plans laid, and with such 

 accurate aim are the deadly weapons thrown, that it seldom happens that a single Kangaroo 

 escapes from the scene of massacre. 



A time of feasting then follows, for these wild children of nature have no conception of 

 thrift, and would think themselves very hardly used w r ere they not allowed to eat every parti- 

 cle of food which they could obtain, even though they would be forced to endure the pangs of 

 hunger for many a day afterwards. The quantity of meat that a native Australian will eat at 

 a single meal, and the gallons of w r ater that he will drink, are so astounding as almost to sur- 

 pass belief. 



Besides these modes of hunting, the native makes use of pitfalls, snares, nets, and other 

 devices, by means of which he contrives to entrap the animal without putting himself to the 

 trouble of hunting it. . 



The white hunters, however, go to work in a very different manner, looking more to the 



