212 THE KANGAROOS. 



the heel is also black. The hairs of the tail (except- 

 ing at the base, where they are of the same colours 

 and character as those of the body) are rather harsh, 

 black, and broadly annulated with silvery white near 

 the a])ex ; the general tint is hoary grey, the white 

 portion of each hair being most conspicuous ; the 

 apex of the tail is black, and on this part the hairs 

 are long and form a kind of tuft ; the under side of 

 the tail is dirty white ; on the apical portion beneath, 

 where the hairs are comparatively long, it is brown- 

 white. The hairs on the upper part of the body are 

 of a deep slate colour at the base, the remaining por- 

 tion of each hair is black, annulated with white, or 

 more generally with pale rust colour ; on the under 

 parts of the body, the hairs are of a deep slate colour 

 with the apical portion white. 



Length from nose to root of tail, 3'i inches ; tail, 

 32 inches; from nose to base of ear, 5 inches 10 

 lines; tarsi, (without the claws) 8^ inches; ear, 3 

 inches 1 line. 



Inhabits Van Diemen's Land. 



The above description and dimensions are taken 

 from an adult male in the Zoological Society's Mu- 

 seum ; the two females in the same Museum are of 

 a smaller size and rather paler colour ; around the 

 entrance to the pouch the hairs are of a deep rusty 

 brown colour. The young, when about the size of 

 a kitten, are of a brown colour ; when it attains a 

 larger size — about equal to a rabbit — and leaves 

 the pouch of its parent, it has the same colouring as 

 the adult. 



