KANGUROO. 



While those violent changes and contests between 

 tin; sea and the land Hood are going on in the vici- 

 nity of the shores, there are other circumstances of 

 a different character, but equally calculated for pro- 

 ducing changes in the condition of the country, taking 

 place in the interior. Though there are hills of con- 

 siderable height in the island of New Holland, no 

 mountains have hitherto been discovered, bearing 

 any such proportion to the breadth of the country, 

 as are to be met with in most other parts of the 

 vvorld % "So far as it luis been explored, the principal 

 elevations are at no great distance from the shores ; 

 and thus, though it is probable that the quantity of 

 of rain in the interior of the country is not very 

 great, yet a portion must reach the depressions in 

 the interior. In as far as that interior has been ex- 

 plored, the rain which thus falls is accumulated in 

 marshes or swamp?, which are extensive pools of 

 water immediately after the rain has fallen, but which 

 gradually become dried up after the drought again 

 returns. In warm countries, alternating waters of 

 this kind do not produce even seasonal vegetation, 

 for the drought burns up the marsh plants ; and when 

 this takes place, the volatile part of the vegetable 

 matter evaporates, the salts are in great part left 

 behind, and the soil is changed into dry sand or 

 indurated clay, neither of which is well adapted for 

 the growth of sea plants or land plants. In con- 

 sequence of this, the. soil gets worse and worse after 

 every flood, and in a short time becomes wholly un- 

 productive of any species of vegetation adapted for 

 the food of an animal of even moderate size. Conse- 

 quently the larger species of kanguroos are at all 

 times confined to particular spots of the country 

 namely, the flats of considerable elevation, which are 

 liable to be burned up at some seasons of the year, 

 but never to be flooded. It becomes necessary that 

 animals which have to find food on the vegetation of 

 such places, should have a power of changing from 

 place to place with considerable rapidity ; and as, 

 even when they are in the best condition, few of 

 those places have that continual herbage which cha- 

 racterises our meadows, and adds so much to their 

 beauty, they are totally unfit for animals which graze 

 the breadth of the surface while they are in slow 

 progressive motion. But the kangaroo, which, from 

 its structure, can bound rapidly from tuft to tuft, 

 and live upon vegetation of considerable height, as 

 well as upon that which is immediately upon the 

 surface, is exactly the animal adapted for such re- 

 gions ; whereas any of the ruminants would be 

 incapable of subsisting upon them for any length of 

 time. No doubt there are, to the south-w'estward of 

 Sidney, pastures of considerable extent which have 

 been found not ill adapted for cattle ; but those pas- 

 tures are situated on a part of the country which, 

 in its geological structure, and its physical character, 

 generally differs very considerably from what may 

 be considered as the average character of the 

 country. 



The leaping motion of the kanguroos suits well 

 with the nature of this kind of country, and though 

 we are not so well acquainted with all the relations 

 as to be able to judge with so much precision as to 

 the advantages which they derive from the marsupial 

 gestation, there can be no doubt that that also serves 

 to fit them for the locality wherein they are situated, 

 otherwise they would not have it, upon the principle 

 in nature to which there is not one known exception- 



thai there is not an organisation or modification of 

 an organisation, for which there is not an adequate 

 use. There can be no question that the carrying of 

 the young in the abdominal pouch, or marsupium, 

 enables the female to move about and carry her 

 young ones with much more ease than if any of her 

 limbs were concerned in the performance of that 

 office. The fact of the internal uterus and the rnar- 

 supium admitting of a more rapid succession of gene- 

 rations than can take place in animals which perfect 

 the young in the internal uterus, and afterwards 

 suckle them on the teats, is also calculated to assist 

 in keeping up the breed of the animals in situations 

 where, without such a provision, they would be often 

 exposed to the peril of extinction. Common pla- 

 cental mammalia, with single uteri, rarely have a 

 case of superftetation in the uterus, and an impreg- 

 nation during the time that the young are most 

 exclusively nourished by the lactiferous secretion of 

 the mammae, is scarcely less rare. Placental marn- 

 rnalia are therefore adapted only to countries in 

 which they have irregular successions of seasons, un- 

 less in those animals that are not absolutely dependent 

 on the production of green or recent vegetable matter 

 for their food. The placenta! ajiimals that occasion- 

 ally furnish instances of superfsetation, and also 

 become gravid pretty frequently while they suckle, 

 are almost, if not altogether, rodent animals, which 

 eat bark and other dry vegetable matters, as well as 

 the green produce of the earth. Perhaps the best 

 and most circumstantial account which we have of 

 the economy of the female kangaroos, is that which 

 was read to the committee of science of the Zoological 

 Society of London, by Mr. Owen, on the *2(Jth of 

 November, 1833 ; we shall therefore quote it for the 

 information of such of our readers as have not access 

 .to the Reports of that most excellent and efficient 

 committee. " Perhaps," says Mr. Owen, " there is 

 no question in animal physiology that has given rise 

 to more numerous and contradictory theories, and in 

 which fewer facts have been well ascertained, than 

 that which relates to the generation of the marsujiial 

 animals. 



" In the present communication I propose to 

 limit myself to the narration of some circumstances 

 that have occurred in elucidation of this subject 

 during a series of observations which I have made 

 at the gardens in Regent's Park during the past 

 summer. 



" All the kanguroos at the farm were for this pur- 

 pose transferred from the farm to the gardens at the 

 latter end of June. The whole stock consisted of 

 two males and six females, all full grown. The ani- 

 mals of different sexes were kept apart until they had 

 in some measure become accustomed to the gaze of 

 visiters, and reconciled to their new abode. 



" It was to be expected that some accidents would 

 occur in exposing so timid an animal, and one whose 

 locomotion is of so violent a kind, to this change ; 

 and shortly after their arrival one of the females died 

 in consequence of leaping against the wire fence. It 

 is, however, probable, from the appearances -observed 

 on the post mortem examination of subsequent cases, 

 that this, like the other individuals, were rendered 

 highly excitable by great determination of blood to 

 the brain. When the remainder had become more 

 habituated to .their new circumstances, the experi- 

 ments were commenced, and the first step taken was 

 to examine the pouches of all the females. 



