( .509 



NOTES ON TWO KANGAROOS FROM THE "NORTHERN 

 TERRITORY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA," WITH DESCRIP- 

 TION OF A NEW SPECIES. 



By the HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD, Ph.D. 



THROUGH the exertions of Mr. Bernard H. Woodward, of the Perth Museum, 

 a number of most interesting forms of the larger sjiecies of Maciopus have 

 been discovered or rediscovered, such as J/, antilopiniis and several forms allied 

 to M. rohustus. All these were found in Western and North-Western Australia. 

 Owing to the interest aroused by these discoveries, a number of living sj)ecimens 

 of these have been imported, and among them I have found a new form, and what 

 1 believe to be the long-sought Owen's Kangaroo, Macrojnis magnus Owen. In 

 Mr. Thomas's Catalogue of the Marsujiialia and Monotremataof the British Museum 

 M. magnus, known only from the tyjjc skull, is stated to be closest to M. rufus, 

 though the skull has remarkable differences. The kangaroo J am about to describe 

 is certainly near to M. ni/'us, and not a Wallaroo (^1/. rohustus subsp.). I will now 

 give a description of this very fine species. 



Macropus magnus Owen. 



Male adult (living) : Size of M. ru/'us. Hair short and very thick and woolly, 

 as in ^/. ru/'us, only more exaggerated. Whole of body deep mahogany chestnut. 

 Ears and face blackish, a band on shoulders and at the bend of thighs, forelegs, 

 hindlegs and anterior two-thirds of tail black. Size of M. rohustus. 



Habitat : Northern Territory of South Australia. 



Until we can examine the skull it is impossible to be certain that this is the 

 true Macropus magnus, but the probability is that it is really tiiis long-lost species, 

 because it is the only one of the recently discovered forms which is really close to 

 M. rufus. 



I describe the new form as follows : 



Macropus argentatus spec. nov. 



Male adult : Basal half of ears, occi[mt, and hindneck, shoulders, and anterior 

 half of liody bright dark rufous, washed with pnri)le. Anterior half of ears, face, 

 forearms, lower ]iarr of hindlegs, and anterior half of tail blackish. Postcridr half 

 of body mixed with black hairs, giving tlie animal a dark roan appearance. 



Female adult : Silvery grey all over, mixed with ashy grey, giving the animal 

 the appearance of a large Chinchilla ; lower flanks almost white ; anterior two- 

 thirds of tail yellowish grey. The young animal is pale grey with a slight shade of 

 red iu places. Hair in both sexes very long, thick, and silky. 



Habitat : Northern Territory of South Australia. (Type living at Tring.) 



This is decidedly a Wallaroo, and allied to M. robustus ; but again we cannot 

 decide until we examine the skulls as to its correct status, and so I prci'er to mime 

 it as a species. The name is given to indicate the colour of the female. 



