244 THE MARSUPIALIA. [1839 



they fall from the teats, and are for the first time ushered into 

 the world. But for a long time after this takes place, the 

 dam carries her young in her pouch, even when they can walk, 

 and on the approach of danger, they always conceal them- 

 selves in this secure retreat. When Australia was first dis- 

 covered, these animals were very numerous, but they arc now 

 fast disappearing. 



First in importance, and the largest in size, of the animals 

 belonging to this order, is the kangaroo, which, in some of 

 the species, has the proportions of a large calf. Its head, neck, 

 and shoulders, are small, but it increases disproportionately to- 

 wards the hind quarters. Its fore legs are short, and are of 

 no service in walking, but are only used in burrowing in the 

 ground, or in conveying food to the mouth. The hind legs are 

 long and powerful, and are highly useful in locomotion, which 

 the animal effects by a succession of springs or leaps, some- 

 times jumping thirty feet at a single bound, in which it is 

 materially assisted by its strong prehensile tail. The color 

 is generally gray, varying in different shades, though there is 

 one species which is red and white. Except when feeding, or 

 lying down, its attitude is erect; squatting on its hams and 

 tail, like a South Sea islander. Its habits are herbiverous 

 and gregarious, and it is exceedingly shy and timid. Hunt- 

 ing the kangaroo, affords great amusement to the colonists. 

 Its flesh is edible, and is esteemed quite a luxury by the na- 

 tives. 



Besides the kangaroo, there arc seven other genera of the 

 marsxynalia — the dasyuri, the phalangers, the petaurista, the 

 parameles, the phascolarctos, the phascolomys, and the potorvus 

 — the different species of which vary in size, from that of a rat 

 to that of a dog. The dasyuri found in Australia, resemble 

 the weasel tribe in size and appearance, though there are 

 larger species on Van Diemen's Land : all the species are 

 carnivorous. The phalangers are not all distinguished by 

 united toes, as the name implies: some of them approach 

 the quadrumana in the formation of their extremities; and 

 one of the latter class, the vulpine phalanger, is a pretty 



