NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 169 



pouch was found empty. Every portion of the Htter was 

 carefully searched, but no traces of the foetus could be 

 found. It was, therefore, concluded that the mother had 

 probably destroyed it in consequence of the disturbance, 

 in accordance with the morbid habit to which I have in 

 another part of these papers alluded. It is but just, 

 however, to the Professor to remark, that he had no 

 reason for anticipating this fatal result; for when the 

 Zoological Society held the farm at Kingston, the head- 

 keeper there had twice taken a mammary kanguroo foetus 

 from the nipple and pouch of the mother when it did not 

 exceed an inch in length, and each time it again became 

 attached to the nipple. It continued to grow without 

 apparently having sustained any injury from the separa- 

 tion, until the death of the mother, when it was nearly 

 fit for leaving the pouch. The person who procured Mr. 

 Collie's specimen told that gentleman that the young 

 one did not pass the whole of its time with the papilla 

 in its mouth, but had been remarked more than once 

 not having hold of it. It had even been wholly removed 

 from the pouch to the person's hand, and had always 

 attached itself anew to the teat. Mr. Collie, with the 

 tip of his finger, gently pressed the head of the little one 

 away from the teat, of which it had hold, and continued 

 pressing a little more strongly for a minute altogether, 

 when the teat, that had been stretched to more than an 

 inch, came out of the young one's mouth, and showed a 

 small circular enlargement at its tip, well adapting it for 

 being retained by the sucker's mouth, the opening of 

 which seemed closed in on both sides, and only suffi- 

 ciently open in front to admit the slender papilla. After 

 this Mr. Collie placed the extremity of the teat close to 

 the mouth of the young, and held it there for a short 

 time without perceiving any decided effort to get hold of 

 it anew ; when he allowed the pouch to close and put 

 the mother into her place of security. An hour after- 



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