NATURAL HISTORY OF THE KANGAROO. 417 



which he called Filander, and wliich were kejst in captivity in a gar- 

 den at Batavia. A very fair representation of the animal is given 

 one showing tlie aperture of the pouch. This species was, moreover, 

 described both by Pallas * and by Schreber.* 



It is not improbable, however, that kangaroos were seen by the 

 earlier explorers of the western coast of Australia ; and it may be that 

 it is one of these animals which was referred to by Dampier, when he 

 tells us that on August 12, 1G99, "two or three of my seamen saw 

 creatures not unlike wolves, but so lean that they looked like mere 

 skeletons." 



Having now learned something of the structure, habits, and history 

 of the kangaroo, we may proceed to consider its zoological, geograph- 

 ical, and geological relations, in order to arrive at the best answer we 

 may to our initial question, " What is a kangaroo ? " 



First, as to its zoological relations : and here it is necessary to re- 

 call to mind certain leading facts of zoological classification, in .order 

 that we may be better able to see with what creatures the kangaroo 

 is, in various degrees, allied. 



The whole animal population of the globe is spoken of under the 

 fanciful term, the " animal kingdom," in contrast with the world of 

 plants, or " vegetable kingdom." 



The animal kingdom is divided into certain great groups, each of 

 which is called a sub-kingdom ; and one, the highest ot these sub- 

 kingdoms (that to w^hich we ourselves belong), bears the name verte- 

 brata, and it includes all beasts, birds, reptiles, and fishes; and the 

 name refers to the series of bone called vertebrce, of which the back- 

 bone or spinal column (and all vertebrata have a spinal column) is 

 generally made up. 



Each sub-kingdom is made up of subordinate groups, termed classes ; 

 and thus ihe vertebrate sub-kingdom is made up of the class of beasts 

 or Mammalia (so called because they suckle their young), the class 

 of birds, and other classes. 



Each class is made up of subordinate groups, termed orders; 

 each order is further subdivided into families ; each family is made 

 up oi gcjiera ; while every genus comprises one, few, or many species. 



In considering the zoological relations of the kangaroo, we have 

 then to consider the relations borne by its genera to the other genera 

 of its family, the relations borne by its family to the other families 

 of its order, and finally the relations borne by its order to the other 

 orders of its class (the Mammalia) that class which includes within 

 it all other beasts w^hatever, and also man. 



In the first place, it may be observed, there are many species of 

 kangaroos, arranged in some four genera ; but the true kangaroos 

 form a genus, JIacrojncs, which is very nearly allied to the three other 



> Pallas, "Act. Acad. So. Petrop.," 1W7, part ii., p. 299, tab, 4, Figs. 4 and 5. 

 Schreber, "Sangth.," iii., p. 551, pi. 153, 1778. 

 VOL. Tin. 27 



