MARSUPIAL! A. 107 



as the last phalanx, (or small bone,) in a common skinny sheath. 

 They have short, woolly fur, and a long prehensile tail. Among 

 these are the COESCOES, (sub-genus Cuscus,) of the Molucca 

 Islands, said to suspend themselves by the tail at the sight of a 

 man. 



The Petaurus, (Gr. petad, to fly ; aura, air,) has thirty-eight 

 teeth ; no canines ; the skin expands between the fore and hind 

 limbs, enabling it to take very long leaps, supported in the air as 

 by a parachute. In leaping, it is aided by its flattened and 

 bushy tail. 



P. sciureus, the NORFOLK ISLAND SUGAR SQUIRREL, or FLY- 

 ING SQUIRREL, rests by day, but at night skims through the air, 

 half leaping, half flying from branch to branch, feeding upon 

 leaves and insects. 



The IV. Family is the Poephaga, (Gr. ndy, poe, grass, qoa/w, 

 phago, to eat,) GRASS EATERS. 



Sub-family Macropida, (genus Macropus, Gr. long-footed.) 

 The KANGAROOS. The aspect of these animals is singularly 

 striking the front parts are light and graceful, while the hinder 

 parts of the body, limbs and tail are very stout and muscular ; 

 the head is lengthened ; the ear; very large ; the upper lip cleft ; 

 the whiskers very short and few ; the hind limbs have very long 

 tarsi, like those of the Kangaroo-rat, but are much longer and more 

 robust ; the tail is long, triangular and very muscular. The teeth 

 are comparatively few, viz. : incisors, f ; canines, ; molars, 

 134=24. The species are numerous. The one best known is 

 the Macropus major, the GREAT KANGAROO. The natural posi- 

 tion of these animals is sitting upon their hind legs, in which 

 attitude they are supported by the strong, muscular, and tapering 

 tail. Their movement on all fours is awkward and constrained, 

 but they bound or hop along on their hind limbs with great facil- 

 ity, each leap being about fifteen feet. They easily clear obsta- 

 cles seven or eight feet high. M. Brunii, Le Brun's Kangaroo, 

 is the first of the Marsupials with which naturalists became ac- 

 quainted. It is an inhabitant of New Guinea, and was described 

 by Le Brun as early as 1711. The Kangaroo was discovered 

 by Capt. Cook in his first voyage. Since that period, (1770,) it 

 has been brought over in abundance to Europe and this country ; 

 has bred freely and might become an associate of deer in parks 

 and forests. The conical and tapering form of the body at once 

 suggests to the beholder the idea of great muscular power in the 

 loins and lower limbs, just the opposite to the mole. Its fore 

 limbs are of little use in its forward movements. The defensive 



