CO GREAT KANGUROO. 



colour. The nose is sharp, and the mouth peculiarly wide. 

 The face is white, with a dusky space round the eyes. 

 The tail, which is shorter than the body, is hairy at the 

 base, naked towards the extremity, and covered with a 

 scaly skin. The legs are short and blackish. The nails 

 of the two inner toes are flat, like those of a monkey, and 

 all the rest are hooked and sharp. 



19. KANGUROO TRIBE. 



In many respects, both of structure and habit, the Kan- 

 guroos have a near resemblance to the opossum; but more 

 particularly in the females having a pouch on their belly. 

 Their fore legs are short, and the hinder ones peculiarly 

 long. 



Great Kanguroo. In a wild state, in New Holland, 

 their native country, these animals lurk among the long 

 grass, leaping upon their hind legs, almost like great 

 birds, but with such singular swiftness as to escape the 

 pursuit even of the fleetest greyhound. When in 

 motion, they carry their tail nearly at right angles with 

 the body. They live wholly on vegetable food, and 

 principally on grass ; herding in troops of thirty or 

 forty together, of which one is usually stationed on 

 watch, at a little distance from the rest. Although 

 naturally timid, they have strength and courage sufficient 

 to enable them to defend themselves against the attacks 

 even of powerful enemies. They fight with their teeth, 

 claws, and tail, the latter of which is so thick and 

 strong as to be capable of breaking a man's leg. The 

 females seldom have more than a single young one at a 

 birth. This, for some time after it is produced, finds a 

 place of shelter and retreat in the pouch of its mother. 

 For several years past, there have almost always been 



