96 THE KANGAROOS. 



then raising its whole body, darted its hind-legs on 

 the breast of the man. It was capable of striking 

 with great force if provoked ; and it could scratch 

 violently with its fore claws." 



To this account I have but little to add. In Van 

 Diemen's Land it is called the " Forrester/' and also 

 " Boomer." Mr. Gunn,* who observed the habits of 

 this animal whilst in Van Diemen's Land, states that 

 it frequently exceeds 70 Ibs. weight, t that " it exists 

 in the top of the western mountains, and in the more 

 remote parts. On the Western mountains I saw 

 them in great numbers, and the country being per- 

 fectly open, I had some beautiful hunting ; but in 

 some cases they completely outstripped the Kangaroo 

 dogs, which are a cross between the greyhound for 

 speed, and bull-dog for strength. I had a tame one 

 which allowed my children to play with it, and was 

 extremely docile. The tail is not used in progression, 

 although universally asserted; in leaping they usually 

 hold it out pretty horizontal, but never as a third 

 limb. Indeed, in defence, the hind-legs alone are 

 used, with which they can give most powerful strokes, 



in standing ; when excited, he stands (the male only) on 

 tip-toe and on his tail, and is then of prodigious height. In 

 fighting he does not stand on the tail and one leg, but balances 

 himself for a moment on the tail only, and strikes forward with 

 both hind-legs. When sitting in a state of repose the Great 

 Kangaroo throws the tail behind him ; the lesser one (Macro- 

 pus Bennettii) before him." -Proc. Zool. Soc. 1835, p. 187-8. 



* Annals of Nat. Hist. 1. p. 104. 



f Governor Philip, in his works, speak of a Kangaroo which 

 aed 140 Ibs. 



