GREAT KANGUROO. 507 



view of it, and immediately concluded it to be 

 an animal perfectly new and undescribed. 



On the 1 7th of July, this gentleman, accom- 

 panied by small party, went out at dawn of day 

 in quest of discoveries in natural history ; and, in 

 a walk of many miles, at length saw four of these 

 animals, two of which were chased by his grey- 

 hound, but readily outstripped their pursuer, and 

 threw him out at a great distance, by leaping 

 over the long grass, which prevented the dog 

 from running to advantage*: all that could then 

 be distinctly observed was, that the animal in 

 some degree resembled the Jerboa in its manner 

 of springing forwards on the hind legs, instead of 

 running in the manner of other quadrupeds. 



The sight of a creature so extraordinary could 

 not fail to excite, in the mind of a philosophic 

 observer, the most ardent wishes for a complete 

 examination. These were at length gratified; 

 Mr. Gore, one of the associates in the expedition 

 of Captain Cook, having been so fortunate as to 

 shoot one in the course of a few days ; and it 

 seems to have been from this specimen that the 

 figure given in the voyage, was drawn, which 

 may be considered as in reality the best hitherto 

 published, except in the article of the hind feet, 

 which, instead of their veiy remarkable natural 

 structure, are represented something like those of 



* In such parts of the country where dogs can run with ease, 

 or without being too much impeded by the long grass and shrubs, 

 the Kanguroo is found unequal to the chace, and has several times 

 been caught with greyhounds. 



