THE KANGAEOO. 3 



hind feet and haunches, after the manner of a squirrel ; 

 the tail stretched out at full length along the ground, not, 

 as I have seen it represented in a picture, curled up like 

 that of a rat, for the kangaroo cannot bend its tail. 

 "When running, it springs from the ground in an erect 

 position, propelled by its powerful hind legs and balanced 

 by its tail, holding its short fore-arms well into the chest, 

 after the manner of a professional runner. Thus it bounds 

 lightly and easily along, clearing any obstacles, such as 

 trees, and even low fences, in its stride. I never fairly 

 measured one of these strides or springs, but I am certain, 

 when hard pressed, an " old man," or " flying doe," will 

 clear nearly ten yards at a spring. The long tail mate- 

 rially assists them in running, and its measured thump 

 may be heard on the ground long before the kangaroo 

 itself appears in sight in the thick forest. It is a curious 

 fact, that a wounded kangaroo very often breaks the 

 hind leg in struggling ; and I once knew an " old man" 

 snap the bone just above the hock, as short as a carrot, 

 in taking a spring. The general height of a full-grown 

 kangaroo, when sitting upright, is, perhaps, about 5 feet. 

 The largest, I think, that I ever killed, measured 9 feet 

 6 inches from the tip of the nose to the end of the 

 tail when stretched out on the ground. The tail is very 

 thick at the root, gradually tapering to the end ; and in 

 an old kangaroo will be 3 or 4 feet long, and weigh 10 

 to 15 Ibs. I have, however, seen them over 20 Ibs. In 

 shape the head much resembles that of the fallow- 

 deer ; but the " lachrymal sinus," peculiar to that class 

 B 2 



