14 1 8 THE POUCHED MAMMALS, OR MARSUPIALS 



Our illustration represents the common hare wallaby (Lagorchestes leporoides} , 

 from South Australia and New South Wales, which measures nineteen and one-half 

 inches to the root of the tail, and is clad in fur closely resembling that of the com- 

 mon hare in general color. This species is fairly abundant in the open country of 

 the interior, more especially near the Murray river. Its habits are in many respects 

 very similar to those of the hare. 



The West- Australian rufous hare wallaby (L. hirsutus}, distinguished by the 

 ruddy tinge of the hair on the rump, and the absence of a black patch on the elbow, 

 appears to be very similar in its habits. In the north of the continent, and on 

 some of the small adjacent islands, the genus is represented by the spectacled hare 

 wallaby (L. conspicillatus} , distinguished by its broader and heavier muzzle, shorter 

 ears, the rufous tinge round the eyes, and the presence of two light bands on the 

 flanks. 



Miiller's kangaroo (Dorcopsis muelleri) is one of a group of three 

 K Papuan species connecting the true kangaroos with the under- 



mentioned tree kangaroos. They are medium-sized animals, the 

 length of the head and body in Miiller's kangaroo being about four inches greater 

 than in the brush- tailed rock wallaby; while in D. luctuosa it is about as much less. 

 These kangaroos differ from the forms hitherto noticed in that the hair on the nape 

 of the neck is either completely or partially directed forward; while the dispropor- 

 tion between the fore and hind-limbs is very much less marked. The large and 

 broad muzzle is devoid of hairs, the ears are small, the tail has an almost naked tip, 

 and the claws of the hind-feet are not concealed by hair. The teeth are distin- 

 guished by the great length, from front to back, of the permanent premolar in each 

 jaw, which has a development similar to that which obtains in the potoroos. There 

 is a well-developed upper tusk, and the molar teeth have low, rounded crowns, in 

 which there is scarcely any trace of a longitudinal bridge connecting the two trans- 

 verse ridges. Moreover, instead of converging at their extremities, the two series 

 of cheek-teeth run nearly, or quite parallel. Miiller's kangaroo has short, close, 

 and glossy fur, of a general uniform chocolate brown; but with a white stripe on 

 the front of the hips, and the fore-arms and feet whitish. Externally this animal 

 presents a remarkable resemblance to the Aru island wallaby (Macropus brunii}, 



In the dense tropical forests of New Guinea, and the north of 

 Queensland are found tree kangaroos; and it is evident that these are 

 specially-modified types which have taken to this mode of life, and are 

 in no way connected with the ancestral forms of the family. The tree kangaroos 

 are easily recognized by the general proportions of the two pairs of limbs to the body 

 being normal; the length of the front pair being only slightly less than that of the 

 hinder. The broad muzzle is only partially naked, and the hair of the nape, and in 

 one species that of the back also, is directed forward. In the hind-feet the claws of 

 the united second and third toes are nearly as large as those of the others, the latter 

 being curved. The tail is very long, and thickly furred. In the teeth, the perma- 

 nent premolar is less elongated from front to back than in the last genus. Of the 

 four well-defined representatives of the genus, the figured black tree kangaroo of 

 New Guinea (Dendrolagus ursinus} is characterized by its general black color and 



