18 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 
the most terrific conflicts, the marks of which are borne by 
many of them till their dying day. 
For many years a merciless war of extermination was waged 
by the colonists against this and the other species of the genus, 
in consequence of which they were greatly reduced in number. 
Of late years they are, however, said to have increased con- 
siderably in many districts ; this being partly attributed to the 
destruction of the Dingoes, and partly to an appreciation of the 
value of the Kangaroos themselves, the skins and fur of which 
now form an important article of export. The Grey Kangaroo 
is hunted with powerful dogs somewhat akin to the Scotch 
deerhound ; and while difficult enough to seize when running 
on broken ground on account of its enormous flying leaps, 
when brought to bay it is a dangerous antagonist, seizing the 
dogs with its fore paws and dashing them to pieces, or ripping 
them open with a blow from the great conical claw of the 
central toe of the hind foot. Owing to its muscular strength, 
the tail is enabled to support the whole weight of the body 
during the moment that a blow is delivered by the hind 
legs. 
As already stated, the Great Grey Kangaroo was first dis- 
covered in 1770 by Captain Cook’s expedition, and the follow- 
ing sentence is taken from the original account of the dis- 
covery: “On Friday, June 22nd, a party who were engaged 
in shooting Pigeons for the use of the sick of the ship, saw an 
animal which they described to be as long as a Greyhound, of 
a slender make, of a mouse-colour, and extremely swift.” The 
same kind of animal was soon after seen by several of Cook’s 
party, among them, by Cook himself and Banks ; while eventu- 
ally they had an opportunity of examining a specimen shot by 
one of the members of the expedition. 
Regarding the general appearance of the Kangaroo when 
in motion, Waterhouse writes as follows: “ Like other animals 
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