ri/K IANQAROO. 

 animal which would I*- snji|>osed t.. fnini-h :IM agreeable article of diet to any on. 



stan in- mail in the i mif\ ..f IMIIIJ. i \.-\ the natives of Madagascar esteem it among 



their ian-M luxuries. an<lareiK> tenaci.,u-. ..f thi- .werful food, that they can hardly be 



induced t<> |.;in \\ith u sjH-ciin. ii which th.-y hare captured, and which they have already 

 dedicated, in aiiticijiatinn. to tin- coiujMisjiini ..nderful *j>ecimen of tin- .-..ok'-, art. 



'I'll.- Tanrec i-. an inhaliitant <-f M I.H may I*- deduced fi it-. jMijuilar title of 



M;K lac-.ix"ll Btdgl bOg, bill ha.s ! li taken to the Maiming and lli.-n- Maturali/.-.l. 



TIIERK art* nth. -i- species of the Madagascar Hedgehog, liesides the tanrw. anmni: hi.-h 



: ! ..'. 'i ". I'KMH: M , or Sp|\> I' I M:i . ' ' ' ' tj .1 Ir 1 ' !M I 1 . \ M . M . I I M:l . 



<' '/' ' 



Tin- fonin-r of tli. - animal-, is inferior in ni" to the tann-*-. U-ini; only \\\>- <>i -i\ iiu-ln-s 

 in li-nirth. The color of this animal is nit her rich and vari-<l. oinu to thedefp tinting of the 

 tpiills and the .soft hues of the loim and flexible bain which stud the body int. -riiii\.-d with 

 tin- miills. Tli.- hair i- of pale yellow, and the quills an- of a <)-. -ji nsl or niahogiuiy tint 

 i.iuaid> their jMiints. and white towards their liases. The long coarse hairs which cover the 

 aUlonn-n and tin- le^B are annulat.-d This animal is ssiid to be generally found in the 

 n.-iirhUnlnHHl of \\at.-r. \\ li.-tli.-r fi.-^h or salt, and to make de-ji l)iirn.\\s n.-ar the liank. Tlie 

 nativea esteem it highly as an article of food. 



TIIK H\M>Ki> Ti M:I . or \ M:II i> Ti MM . . as the name is sometimes given, is also a native 

 of Madagaacar. and haa derived its title of Banded, or Varied, from the bold coloring of the 

 i|iiiH-and hair. 



The general color of the back is a blackish -brown, diversified with three lx>ld stripes of 

 yello\vish-\\hite. that afford a strong contrast with the dark ground-hues of the Iwick. The 

 centre on.- of tlies.. stri|>es extends along the entire length of the animal, aini r lie two others 

 commence l.y the ear and terminate by the flank. The hair that covers the under itortioiw of 

 the Uxly ia of a yellowish white color. 



KANGAROOS, OPOSSUMS, ETC. 



THK K.\TR.\OI:I>IN \m animals which are grouped together under the title of Macropidjp, 

 are. with the exc.-j.tion of the well known opossum of Virginia, inhabitants of Australasia and 

 the inland- of the Indian Archi]ielago. 



Many of these creatures, such as the kangaroo, some of the opossums, and the jx-tan 

 rKtes, are of such singular formation, and so remarkable in their habits of life, that if they 

 had not l>een made familiar to us through the mediuniship of menageries, museums, and the 

 writings of accredited travellers, we should feel rather inclined to consider them and their 

 habits to ! !>ut emanations from the fertile brain of some imaginative \ A ho was taking 



full advantage of the proverbial traveller's licence. Even at the present day, our familiarity 

 with these animals in no way derogates from our wonder at th.-ir strange conformation ; and 

 tin- structure of many of them is so comjilicated. and involves so many considerations, that 

 the Miidy of the Macmj.ida* and their habits is as yet but little advanc.nl. Anatomists such aa 

 Owen, Mivkel. John Hunter, and scientific travellers such a* (tould. have done much towards 

 cl.-arin^ uj> many dubious points in the history of these animals, but the -ul-ject is yet com- 

 paratively in obscurity, and much remains to be achieved by future zoologists. 



Many acknowledged HfK-ci.-s are known but 88 "specimen-.." no accounts of their mode of 

 life, the localities which they m.^t frequent, their food, or their habits, having as yet l--n 

 given to the world : while it is more than sii-.|>ect.-d that in many of the vast unexplored por- 

 tion-, of Au-.tralasia may yet be found numerous sjxfies of these animals which are as yet 



