1 86 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



to see an object directly in front of them when running — at least I 

 have often stood still and shot one down as it came running up to 

 me in the open forest. They are very gregarious, and are always to 

 be met with in smaller or larger droves. I have often seen as many 

 as one hundred and fifty in a drove, and our general ' mobs ' used to 

 average fifty or sixty. After the rutting season, the ' old men ' will 

 often draw away from the ' mobs ' and retire by themselves to the 

 thickest scrub. Each drove frequents a certain district, and has its 

 own particular camping and feeding grounds. The ' mobs ' do not 

 appear to mix, and when the shooter once obtains a knowledge of 

 the country, he has no difficulty in planting himself for a shot. 

 Their camping grounds are generally on some open timbered rise, 

 and they have well-trodden runs from one ground to another. They 

 feed early in the morning and at twilight, and I think also much at 

 night. [The Kangaroo's habits are diurnal — C.B.] The Kangaroo 

 lies up by day, during the hot Summer weather, in damp, thickly- 

 scrubbed gullies; in the Winter, on dry, sandy rises. Here, unless 

 disturbed, they will remain quiet for hours ; and it is a pretty sight 

 to watch a ' mob ' camped up, some of them playing with each other, 

 some quietly nibbling the young shrubs and grass, or basking in the 

 sun half asleep on their sides. About Christmas [Summer-time at 

 the Antipodes — C. B.] the young ones appear to leave their mothers' 

 sides, and congregate in ' mobs ' by themselves ; I have seen as 

 many as fifty running together, and very pretty they looked." 



Such scenes as those pictured by "Old Bushman" are rarely 

 seen now except in the country "out back." But the present writer 

 has had the good fortune to see a certain species of Wallaby "at 

 home." It was on an island in Bass Strait, which separates Tas- 

 mania from the mainland of Australia. The island is not large, but 

 its hills, rock-strewn and clothed with dense scrub, abound in 

 Wallaby. They are so rarely intruded upon and so little molested 

 by the two human habitants of the isle that one may go among them 

 and observe their ways. Sit quietly on a rock and watch the bushes 

 around. Presently dark brown forms will be seen passing to and 

 fro, and then, growing bolder, the Wallabies of the hills will come 

 out into the light and hop about the lichened rocks in the most 

 delightful manner. They will browse on the scanty herbage within 

 a few yards of the watcher's feet. But a sudden movement will send 

 them darting to cover. For they are not entirely ignorant of man 

 and his evil ways. Where they are constantly trapped and hunted, 



