MACROPUS GIGANTEUS. 195 



" Inhabits the western side of New Holland, and 

 has as yet been discovered in no other part of the 

 world.* The natives call it Kanguru. It lurks 

 among the grass ; feeds upon vegetables ; drinks by 

 lapping ; goes chiefly on its hind-legs, making use of 

 the fore-feet only for digging, or bringing its food to 

 its mouth. The dung is like that of a deer. It is 

 very timid. At the sight of men flies from them by 

 amazing leaps, springing over banks seven or eight 

 feet high, and going progressively from rock to rock. 

 It carries its tail quite at right angles with its body 

 when it is in motion ; and when it alights often looks 

 back ; it is much too swift for greyhounds ; is very 

 good eating, according to our first navigators ; but 

 the old ones, according to the report of more recent 

 voyagers, were lean, course and tough. 



" The weapon of defence was its tail, with which 

 it would beat away the strongest dog. 



"In the spring of the present year, (1793) I had 

 an opportunity of observing the manners of one 

 brought into the capital alive. It was in full health, 

 very active, and very mild and good natured ; on first 

 coming out of its place of confinement, it for a little 

 time went on all fours, but soon assumed an upright 

 attitude. It would sport with its keeper in a very 

 singular manner ; it first placed its tail in a perpen- 

 dicular manner, t erected its body on it as a prop, and 



* It is now known to be a native of Van Diemen's Land. 



+ The author, no doubt, means that it rested, when darting 

 out its hind-legs, on the apical half of the tail only. Sir 

 Robert Heron observes, " the Great Kangaroo does not make 

 use of its tail in leaping, he uses it in walking, and still more 



