248 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



five feet six inches; its fore legs are very short; its hind ones 

 very long. Its tail is from three to four feet in length, and its 

 strength is such, that a stroke of it will break a man's leg. 

 The Kangaroo moves by great leaps or bounds of from twelve 

 to twenty feet. It is covered with a short soft fur, of a reddish 

 ash-colour. It feeds on vegetables, and has a pouch for its 

 young, like the opossum. Mr. Cunningham says: "The 

 Kangaroos make no use of the short fore legs, except in 

 grazing. When chased, they hop upon their hind legs, bound- 

 ing onward at a most amazing rate, the tail wagging up and 

 down as they leap, and serving them for a balance. They 

 will bound over gulleys and deep declivities, and fly right 

 over the tops of low brush wood." There are several varieties 

 of this animal; one of which, called the Rat Kangaroo, is 

 only the size of a rabbit ; another, called the Tree Kangaroo, 

 can hop about on trees in an extraordinary manner and is 

 furnished with curved claws, on its fore paws, similar to those 

 of the sloth, by which he can lay hold of the branches. 



Kangaroo Kangaroo hunting is a favourite Australian sport. 



Hunting, it i s no t unattended with danger either to dogs 

 or men, the sharp claws and powerful hind legs of the animal 

 making it a formidable enemy at close quarters. Dawson in his 

 "Present State of Australia" says: "A full-sized 'wool man' 

 at bay always sits on his haunches, and when he rises to 

 move forward, he stands four, or four and a half feet high. 

 In this manner, he will, when pressed, meet a man, and hug 

 and scratch him, if not to death, in such a way that he does 

 not soon forget it. When hard pressed, and near to water, 

 the kangaroo always takes it; if it be deep water, and the 

 dogs follow him, one or the other is almost sure to be drowned. 

 If a single dog, the kangaroo is nearly certain to come off 

 victorious, by taking his assailant in his fore arms, and holding 

 him under water till he is dead; but, if he has two dogs 

 opposed to him, he is not left at liberty to hold either of 

 his opponents long enough under water to drown him, and 



