KANGAROO AND ITS ALLIES. 257 



open ground it is more than a match in speed for the swift- 

 est dog, and can keep up its swiftest pace for hours. When 

 there is any cover it has immeasurably the advantage by 

 clearing clumps or shrubs six or eight feet high ; on uneven 

 ground, on the other hand, it is at a disadvantage, especially 

 when going down hill, for it is liable to slip and roll over on 

 reaching a sloping surface." 



Kangaroo flesh is said to be excellent eating, but the 

 Giant Kangaroo is hunted principally for its skin which 

 is largely used in the manufacture of shoes. Only the 

 fur of the younger animals is dense enough to make 

 the skins of value to the furriers. 



The Red Kangaroo (Macropus-rufus) is next in size to 

 the Giant Kangaroo, but, as its name indicates, the fur has 

 a reddish hue, and as it is also coarse and woolly, it is not 

 sought by furriers, the skin is also too harsh for leather. 



The Blue Kangaroo (Macropus-erubescens) is still 

 smaller than the Eed species, but has a long soft fur, the 

 under coat of which is pinkish or light blue in color. The 

 pelt is soft and thin, and the skins very much appreciated 

 by the tanners. The fur is also valued by the furriers. 



The Walleroo (Macropus-robustus) is smaller than any 

 of the foregoing, and is the scarcest of all Kangaroos. It 

 is whitish grey in color, and the hair is so coarse and harsh 

 that the skins are only suitable for the tanner's use. 



The smallest members of the Kangaroo tribe are the 

 gregarious Kangaroo Rats that live in colonies in connect- 

 ed burrows, and the tree-climbing Musk Kangaroo, whose 

 body exhales a strong odor, and which feeds upon insects 

 and worms. The Rat Kangaroos live in the grass and 

 "scrub," and according to Ingersoll, "scratch the ground 

 all day in search of the roots upon which they feed, and 

 cause havoc in the potato patches of the frontiersmen." 



The so-called Hare Kangaroos (Lagorchetes) , live on the 

 open plains, and in size, color and habits resemble the com- 

 mon hare. They make "forms" in the grass, but are 

 exceedingly fleet, so that at the first approach of danger 

 they generally succeed in reaching the galleries, they have 

 made in the "scrub" by cutting away the lower branches 

 and spines, where it is almost impossible to reach them. 

 Like the Kangaroo Rats, the Kangaroo Hares differ from 

 the true Kangaroos in anatomical peculiarities as well as 

 in their habits and appearance. 



