134 MARSUPIAL QUADRUPEDS OF NEW HOLLAND. 



tralia and its neighbouring isles, present only eleven really 

 distinct and well defined types of organic structure, or, tech- 

 nically speaking, genera ; being on an average not quite one 

 to every three known species. 



This extreme paucity both in the number and variety of its 

 mammal productions, supposing it to be really the case, be- 

 comes the more surprising when we consider that the conti- 

 nent of Australia alone, without reckoning the large islands 

 of New Guinea, New Zealand, and Van Dieman's Land, and 

 the numerous smaller groups, its natural dependencies, em- 

 braces an extent of nearly thirty degrees of latitude by forty 

 degrees of longitude, and ranges throughout an almost infi- 

 nite variety of climate, from the parched and barren sands 

 which border the Gulf of Carpentaria, to the humid soil of 

 Tasmania. But a little farther consideration will convince 

 us that we are, in all probability, only commencing our ac- 

 quaintance with the animal productions of this extensive 

 country. In fact, when we consider the circumstances of the 

 colonies which have been already planted upon its shores, 

 hitherto struggling for bare existence, and attentive only to 

 establish and secure themselves against the miseries of famine 

 and the hostility of the natives ; when we consider, moreover, 

 the comparatively limited extent of country which has been 

 properly explored, and the extreme difficulty of penetrating 

 far into the interior ; but, above all, when we consider the 

 natural apathy of the settlers towards all subjects which do 

 not immediately concern their own situation and prospects, 

 and that ignorance of zoological information which disquali- 

 fies common observers for distinguishing specific differences, 

 or describing, with accuracy, what they examine but slightly; 

 finally, when we reflect that we are altogether ignorant of the 

 Zoology of the northern and western coasts, and that new 

 species are daily added, even from the limited extent of our 

 principal settlement, we have every reason to conclude that 

 the zoological treasures of Australia yet remain to be explored, 

 and that the few discoveries already effected only indicate the 

 value of the harvest which still remains to be reaped. The 

 lately established settlement at the Swan River has already 

 opened an easy and favourable path to the investigation of the 

 western shores ; and as the communication between the coast 

 and the interior becomes more frequent, in the eastern colo- 

 nies, greater facilities will be afforded of obtaining the pro- 

 ductions of the remoter districts. The unexampled prospe- 

 rity of these flourishing colonies also, and the spirit of inquiry 

 which already begins to animate their inhabitants, will mate- 

 rially contribute to extend our knowledge of the natural pro- 



