MARSUPIALS 



135 



dog or horse fails to come up with it, these animals being obliged to 

 circumvent intervening obstacles. When at rest, the kangaroo sits only 

 on its hind-legs (not on the posterior portion of its body, like, e.f/., many 

 rodents). In spite, however, of the great 

 length of the metatarsals, its seat would 

 not be very secure if an additional 

 support were not afforded by the long, 

 strong tail. In this way, the body rests 

 as it were on a three-legged stool. It 

 is only when picking up food direct 

 from the ground with its mouth, while 

 limping slowly and awkwardly forward, 

 that the animal supports itself on the 

 fore-limbs, which otherwise are never em- 

 ployed as means of locomotion. These 

 limbs, accordingly, are much smaller 

 and weaker than the hind-limbs, and, 

 being provided with five movable digits, 

 are used as prehensile organs or hands. 

 The kangaroo lives on grass, and its 

 teeth are accordingly constructed on the 

 plan of a herbivorous animal. The head 

 strongly resembles that of the roe deer, 

 as does also the skin, the grayish-brown 

 ground colour of which perfectly har- 

 monizes with the colour of the ground. 



The young of the kangaroo (like 

 those of all marsupials) are born in a 

 much less perfect con- 

 dition than those of all 

 other mammals. While, 

 in the sitting posture, 

 the parent animal 

 attains to about a man's 

 height, the young does 

 not exceed about J inch 

 in length, is completely 

 naked, blind, and the 

 limbs are merely rudi- 

 mentary stumps. Naturally, so helpless a creature is still in need of 

 special care. This it finds in the brood-pouch of the mother, which 

 is a large fold of the abdominal integument. Immediately after birth 



SKELETON OF (FEMALE) KANGAROO. 

 (With body, one-thirteenth natural size, in outline.) 



((, Marsupial bones ; b, raetatarsiis. 



