13 



MARSUPIATA. 



MARSUPIATA. 



714 



Skeleton of Great Kangaroo (Jfacroput major), 

 a, the marsupial bones. 



it suddenly doubled and came back upon me, the dogs following close 

 at its heels. I stood perfectly still, and the animal had arrived within 

 20 feet before it observed me, when, to my astonishment, instead of 

 branching off to the right or the left, it bounded clear over my head, 

 and on descending to the ground I was enabled to make a successful 

 shot, by which it was procured." 



M. contpicillatta (Lagarchtsta contpicillatut, Gould) is distinguished 

 from the last by its ears being considerably shorter, the more brilliant 

 rusty-red colouring round the eye, and the want of a black patch at 

 the base of the fore leg ; the muzzle likewise is more obtuse. 



M. faicialia, Banded Hare-Kangaroo (Kangurut fasriatut, Peron ; 

 Ilettortyia fatciata, Gould). It in about the size of the common hare, 

 and has very long and soft brown-gray hair. It is very shy and timid, 

 inhabiting the thick brush of Western Australia. 



M. hiriutut, like the rest of the group called by Mr. Gould Lagor- 

 chata, is about the size of the common hare. It inhabits Western 

 Australia, where it is known to the natives by the name of ' Woo-rup.' 

 It is distinguished from the others by the long reddish hairs which are 

 mingled with those of the ordinary hair on the hinder parts of the 

 back, and especially near the base of the tail. 



if. antilopinui (Halmatumi Anttiopinui, F. Cuvier), Antelopine 

 Kangaroo, is a large species, nearly the size of M. giganteia. It is 

 characterised by being clothed with short stiff hairs, and these lie 

 close to the skin, as in many of the antelope tribe. It inhabits North 

 Australia. 



M. Itabfllinuf (the Yellow Wallaroo), Isabelline Kangaroo. This 

 species has been described from a flat and imperfect skin procured by 

 Mr. Gould at Barrow Island. 



M. roktutus, Waterhouse (Petroyale robusta), the Great Rock Kan- 

 garoo. It is the Black Wallaroo of the colonists, and inhabits the 

 mountain ranges in the interior of New South Wales. The male and 

 female differ in siza and colour. The male equaU in weight the Great 

 Kangaroo, and is of a black colour, whilst the female is a small deli- 

 cate creature of a silvery-gray colour. This animal is living in the 

 Gardens of the Zoological Society, Regent's Park. 



3f. rvfui, Desmarest (M. laniger, Gould). The male is called the 

 Red Buck ' and the female the ' Blue Doe,' she is also called 'Flying 

 Doe.' This species is as large as At. giganteui. Four specimens were 

 procured by M. Gould in Australia, and are now in the British Museum. 

 It frequents the banks of the Murrumbidgee and the Darling, and is 

 probably dispersed over the great basin of the interior of Australia. 



M. agilia, the Agile Kangaroo, inhabits the north coast of Australia. 

 It is very agile, and eludes the dogs employed in hunting it by its 



extreme activity in leaping over the high crags. The colour of the 

 fur is sandy-yellow, but the back ia pencilled with black. 



M'. Parry i, Bennett (Halmaturus Parryi). It inhabits New South 

 Wales. It is of a silvery-gray above and white beneath. It is a large 

 species. 



M. Irma (Halmaturus Irma, Jourdan), the Black-Gloved Kangaroo, 

 is a native of Western Australia. It runs very fast, is about 31 inches 

 in length or half the size of M. giyanteus, and abounds in the Swan 

 River district. 



M. Greyi, named after the Hon. Captain G. Grey, who presented 

 two specimens to the British Museum. It inhabits South Australia. 



M. rufimllis, Desmarest (Halmaturus elegans, Gray), Kangaroo h, 

 Cou Roux, the Red-Necked Kangaroo. It inhabits New South Wales 

 and King's Island. It was discovered by Messrs. Pdron and Lesueur 

 in King's Island. Mr. Waterhouse regards the M. enneUii, ' Brush 

 Kangaroo,' as a variety of this species. This animal has bred freely 

 in this country both in the Gardens of the Zoological Society and in 

 the menagerie of the Earl of Derby. 



M. Ualabatus, the Black Wallaby of Gould, Black-Tailed Kangaroo 

 of Waterhouse, is an inhabitant of New South Wales. 



M. Eugenii, Waterhouse (Halmaturus Eugenii; H. gracilis, Gould), 

 inhabits Western Australia. 



M. Thftides, the Pademelon Kangaroo, Pademelon Wallaby of the 

 colonists, inhabits New South Wales. It is a small species, about 20 

 inches in height when sitting. It is highly prized as an article of diet. 



M. Parma, Parma Kangaroo, inhabits New South Wales. 



M. dorialis, Black-Striped Kangaroo. Like the last it is found in 

 the scrubby districts of New South Wales. This species is eaten, and 

 its skin is used for clothing. 



M. Derbianus, Derby's Kangaroo, inhabits Western and South 

 Western Australia. It is about the size of the last, and is found in 

 the interminable forests of short Eucalypti, which characterise many 

 districts of Australia. 



M. BUlardierii, Waterhouse (Kangurus BUlardierii), Red-Bellied 

 Kangaroo, is a native of Van Diemen's Land. It is a gregarious 

 species, hundreds of them inhabiting the same locality. It is called 

 by the colonists ' The Wallaby.' 



M. brachyurus, the Short-Tailed Kangaroo, inhabits the region of 

 King George's Sound. 



M. penicillatus, Gray (Heleropus albogularis, Jourdan), the Brush- 

 Tailed Rock-Kangaroo, inhabits New South Wales, and its flesh is said 

 to be most excellent. It is a gregarious and nocturnal species, dwelling in 

 rocky districts, and remarkable for its power of leaping from rock to 

 rock. 



M. lateralis, the Black-Flanked Rock-Kangaroo (Petrogale lateralis, 

 Gould). It inhabits western Australia, the Swan River district, and is 

 nocturnal in its habits, and remarkably shy. 



M. inornatus (Petrogale inornata, Gould), inhabits the north coast of 

 Australia. 



M. Brachiotit, the Short-Eared Rock-Kangaroo, inhabits the north- 

 west coast of Australia. 



M. concinnus is also found in the same districts. 



M. Brunii, Le Bran's Kangaroo (Filander, Le Brun; Didelphyt 

 Brunii, Schreber ; Macropue vetema, Lesson ; Hypiiprymnus Brunii, 

 Muller ; Halmaturus Aiiaticus, Gray ; Javan Opposum, Pennant). Head 

 narrow and very long ; ears short ; tail moderate ; fore legs strong ; 

 fur very short, soft, and composed of hair almost entirely of one kind, 

 radiating from a point on the mesial line of the back a little behiiid 

 the shoulders; general colour grayish-brown suffused with yellowish, 

 especially on the sides of the body ; under parts pale dirty yellow ; 

 ears blackish externally. 



This animal was the first of the Marjupiata with which naturalists 

 became acquainted, having been described by Le Brun as early as 

 1711. It is an inhabitant of New Guinea. Specimens were obtained 

 during the French expedition of the Astrolabe, and by an expedition 

 recently sent out by the Dutch government. Through the last 

 expedition specimens have been obtained which are now in the British 

 Museum. 



Phascolomya (Geoffrey). Body clumsy ; head large and bluff; fore 

 feet with five toes, armed with crooked nails ; hind feet with four, 

 and a little tubercle without a nail, in place of the great toe ; indeed 

 it may 1 e said to have but four toes on the hind feet. Tail nearly null. 

 Dental Formula : 



Incisors, 1=1; Canines, T; Molars, 5 = 24. 

 l_l' 0-0 5-5 



P. Wombat, Didclphys ursina of Shaw ; the Wombat of the natives, 

 navigators, and naturalists, is the only species of this genus known. 



From Lieut.-Col. Cjllins's 'Account of the English Colony of New 

 South Wales' (1802), we select the following part of a description of 

 a Wombat found on Cape Barren Island, abstracted from Bass's 

 ' Journal :' " The Wombat, or, as it is called by the natives of Port 

 Jackson, the Womback, is a squat, short, thick, short-legged, rather 

 inactive quadruped, with great appearance of stumpy strength, and 

 somewhat bigger than a large turnspit dog. Its figure and move- 

 ments, if they do not exactly resemble those of the bear, at least 

 strongly remind one of that animal. Its length, from the tip of the 

 tail to the tip of the nose, is 31 inches, of which its body takes up 23 



