AUSTRALIA. 



AUSTRALIA. 



70 1 ! 



America. The continent of Australia is the head-quarters of this 

 extraordinary and anomalous race of beings ; a race which unites 

 almost all the distinguishing attributes of every other tribe of quadru- 

 peds with its own peculiar characters. 



The last observation which is suggested by the general view of 

 Australian mammalogy exhibited in the foregoing table is, that the 

 country is entirely destitute of both pachydermatous and ruminating 

 animals that is, of all those species which are best adapted for 

 human food and for the various purposes of social economy. It 

 will be readily admitted, after considering the observations which we 

 have already made upon the connection between the geographical 

 distribution of animals, especially those which are most applicable to 

 the purposes of human life, and the civilisation of mankind, that this 

 circumstance must have at all times exerted a powerful influence over 

 the social condition of the aboriginal inhabitants of Australia ; and 

 that it goes far to explain not only the thinness of population which 

 exists in this extensive country, but likewise the abject and degraded 

 state of misery in which its savage inhabitants have been generally 

 found. A precarious supply of fish, shell-fish, and roasted fern roots 

 forms the chief part of their subsistence ; many have been observed 

 greedily devouring the most disgusting reptiles, worms, and cater- 

 pillars ; land animals, as we have seen, are extremely rare throughout 

 the whole country, and even when met with, difficult to obtain ; a 

 kangaroo was occasionally surprised, or run down by dogs as wild 

 and savage as their masters, but the small arboreal phalangers and 

 petaurists could oaly be obtained by burning or cutting down the 

 trees in which they were discovered. The natives had no contrivance 

 to shoot or ensnare birds, nor could they capture the dolphins and 

 seals which abound on their coasts, like the Esquimaux and Green- 

 landers. Under these circumstances it is scarcely conceivable that 

 the native Australian could have ever emerged, by any possible 

 exertions of his own, from the savage condition in which he was 

 found by his European discoverers. 



We now proceed to a more particular consideration of Australian 

 mammals. As will be observed from the table, this extensive country 

 is entirely destitute of quadrumanous animals, such as monkeys and 

 lemurs, as well as of pachydermata and ruminants. Of the cheirop- 

 tera, or winged quadrupeds, very few species are known to exist. 



Of the order C'arnivora 8 species are inserted in the table as 

 inhabitants of Australia ; all of which are peculiar to that continent. 

 Of these however all but one are marine mammals, belonging to 

 the Seal genus (Phoca), and comprehend the sea lion, sea bear, and 

 other large species. The only land animal of this order is the dog, a 

 variety of intermediate size, with prick ears and a wolfish appearance, 

 which is found both wild and in a semi-domestic state among the 

 native tribes. 



The next order, or ifarnuftiali, is that which as before observed 

 comprehends the great majority of Australian mammals, and forms 

 the principal character of the zoology of this part of the world. The 

 105 species of this tribe marked in the table belong to several 

 genera, agreeing in the general structure and characters which relate 

 to the premature production and subsequent nutrition of the young 

 in a pouch or bag with which nature has provided the female parents, 

 and from which the order derives its name of Martupiatia, but 

 lillcring widely in all the other details of their conformation and 

 economy. The first and perhaps the most remarkable genus of this 

 anomalous tribe of beings comprehends those singular and now well- 

 known animals which we call kangaroos (Macroput), and of which 

 there exists a great variety of different species, though their peculiar 

 distinctions have not been very clearly determined even by zoologists. 

 Among the larger species, the common kangaroo, called the ' forester,' 

 and the ' old man ' in New South Wales (M, labiatm), the red and 

 woolly kangaroos (If. rufia and If. fuliginotut), and the species 

 called by zoologists if. rufo-yritcut attain a very considerable size, 

 and often weigh as much as a largo sheep. They associate together 

 in herds of greater or less extent on the open downs and forests 

 1 of underwood, feed exclusively upon grass and vegetables, and, 

 though never fat, are held in high estimation by colonial epicures. 

 The tail in particular is said to make very rich and savoury soup ; 

 the flesh, from the natural deficiency of fat already mentioned, is 

 cooked with bacon, and considered wholesome and palatable. Of 

 the smaller species, the most remarkable are the Rock Kangaroo 

 (M. rupettrit), remarkable for its bushy fox-like tail, and for inha- 

 biting the naked and most precipitous rocks among the mountains, 

 where it makes iU way with all the speed and security of a wild goat; 

 the brush kangaroos, called waltaln and padymulla by the natives, 

 which live among the bushes and thick underwood ; and the Fasciated 

 Kangaroo (M. eleyaru), remarkable for its uniform light-blue colour, 

 and the regular and deep black bands which pass transversely over 

 its back and loins. 



The potoroos, or kangaroo-rats (J/,/,,, ,,,, ! /,,iniu), are very similar in 

 most respects to the real kangaroo, from which indeed they only 

 .lift'ir in their smaller size, and in some slight modifications of denti- 

 tion. They seldom exceed the size of a rabbit, live singly or in pairs, 

 concealing themselves in crevices or under fallen timber, and moving 

 abroad only at night, when they are hunted by moonlight as food for 

 dogs, their flesh not being considered fit for human food. Several 

 species arc found in different parta of the country. Like the kanga- 



oroo. mv. VOL. i. 



roos, the hind-legs only are employed in progression, the fore-feet 

 being used as hands to carry food to the mouth and for other similar 

 purposes. 



Of the phalangers (Phalangista), so called originally by Buflbn, 

 from the union of the two interior toes of the hind-feet as far as the 

 last phalange or joint, six or eight species are known to inhabit 

 Australia, whilst about the same number are spread throughout the 

 long chain of islands which almost connect its northern coast with 

 the peninsula of Malacca. These animals, called ring-tailed opossums 

 by the colonists, from their habit of hanging suspended by the tail, 

 which is strongly prehensile, from the branches of the trees in which 

 they exclusively reside, are distinguished from their congeners of the 

 Indian isles, by having the tail generally bushy, but always covered 

 with hair, except a narrow slip on the under side towards the extre- 

 mity, which is directly applied to the branches in the act of grasping. 

 The three largest species, P. vvipina, P. lemurina, and P. niyra, are 

 about the size of a domestic cat, and covered with a soft and rich fur, 

 which has been found at Sydney to answer extremely well in the 

 manufacture of hats, but which unfortunately cannot be procured in 

 sufficient quantities to become extensively useful. The Long-Tailed 

 Phalanger (P. Cookii) is a rather smaller species, originally discovered 

 by Captain Cook on the south-eastern coast of Van Diemen's Laud, 

 and chiefly remarkable for its fine short fur, and long attenuated tail 

 tipped with white. Two still smaller species, the P. gliriformis and 

 P. pygmcea, are principally distinguished by their minute size, the 

 former being not larger than a small rat, and the latter scarcely 

 equalling the common mouse in magnitude. All these animals inhabit 

 the forests, and feed principally upon the leaves of the various species 

 of gum-trees (Eucalypti), which occupy so prominent a place in 

 Australian botany, secreting themselves in the hollow trunks of 

 decayed trees during the day-time, and moving abroad only during 

 the night. 



Nearly related to the phalangers in many respects are the petaurists 

 (Pelaurua), or flying opossums, and flying squirrels, as they are com- 

 monly called by the colonists, a genus exclusively Australian, and 

 distinguished by the lax, unprehensile tail, and by the skin of the 

 sides and flanks being distended into a kind of wing, or flying mem- 

 brane, which acts like a parachute in supporting the body, and 

 enables these animals to make the most astonishing leaps among the 

 thinly-scattered trees of an Australian forest. Of these there are 

 likewise six or more species ; the largest of which (P. taguanoides), 

 exceeds the size of the domestic cat, whilst the smallest (P. minimus), 

 called the Flying Mouse by the colonists, scarcely equals the dimen- 

 sions of this latter animal. The petaurists, like the phalangers, are 

 an arboreal and nocturnal genus, feeding principally upon gum-tree 

 leaves, and during the bright moonlight nights enlivening the other- 

 wise silent and lonely forests with their rapid and varied motions. 



The wombat (Phatcolomys) is a large animal about the size of a 

 badger, which burrows in the sand-hills of the interior, and lives 

 exclusively upon vegetables. It is of a social disposition, many of 

 them being generally found together, like rabbits in the same warren : 

 like the generality of Australian mammals it is nocturnal, sleeping in 

 its burrow during the day-time, and moving about in search of food, 

 &c., only during the night. It consequently becomes very fat, and 

 has been sometimes known to attain the weight of 40 or 50 pounds ; 

 its flesh is considered as a delicate and wholesome article of food. 

 Being a slow runner it is easily captured when found at any distance 

 from its burrow, and is at all times a most valuable resource to the 

 inland or bush tribes of natives, who often resort from great distances 

 to some known warren to enjoy the abundance of a wombat feast. 

 In most of its characters, those only excepted which it partakes in 

 common with the other marsupials, it agrees with the rodentia, 

 and indeed appears to be the natural link which connects these 

 two orders. 



The bandicoots (Peramelcs) compose a very remarkable genus, 

 which does not admit of a ready comparison with any other group of 

 animals likely to be more familiar to the generality of readers. With 

 a dental system and even an outward form which very much assimi- 

 late them to the larger shrews and other insectivorous mammals, they 

 unite the ordinary characters of marsupial animals, and feed exclu- 

 sively upon roots and other vegetable substances. Their habits are 

 similar to those of the kangaroo-rats, except that they do not hop upon 

 the hind-legs only, but uso all the four extremities in the act of 

 progression, like ordinary quadrupeds ; they form burrows, or take 

 refuge during the day-time in natural crevices, or under fallen 

 timber, move abaut only during the night-time and are not con- 

 Mdi-r-'d fit for human food. Two species only have been described, 

 the P. natuta and P. obetula, both found within the colony of New 

 South Wales. 



Two other genera of Australian mammals, the Datyurus and 

 Thylacynms, partake of the habits and appearance of the ordinary 

 carnivorous quadrupeds, and appear to unite this tribe of animals 

 with the marsupials in general. The first of these genera, called 

 Daiyuret (that is, hairy-tails), to distinguish them from the naked- 

 tailed opossums of America with which many naturalists had asso- 

 ciated them, consists of five or six species, generally of small size, 

 and agreeably marked with numerous white spots on a black, olive, 

 or russet ground. Their habits and mode of life generally resemble 



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