276' HISTORY OF 



"This animal has not any claim to swiftness of 

 foot, as most men could run it down. Its pace 

 is hobbling something like the gait of a bear. 

 In disposition it is mild and gentle ; but it bites 

 hard and is furious when provoked. Mr. Bass 

 never heard its voice but once ; it was a low cry, 

 which could not be heard at a distance of more 

 than 30 or 40 yards. He chased one, and with his 

 .hands under its belly lifted it off the ground 

 -without hurting it, and laid it on its back 

 along his arm. It made no noise, nor any ef- 

 fort to escape. Mr. Bass carried the beast up- 

 wards of a mile, shifting him from arm to arm, 

 sometimes laying him on his shoulder, which he 

 took in good part ; till being obliged to secure 

 his legs while he went into the brush to cut a 

 specimen of a new wood, the creature's anger 

 arose with the pinching of the twine ; he whiz- 

 zed with all his might, kicked most furiously, 

 and snapped off a piece from the elbow of Mr. 

 Bass's jacket with his grass cutting teeth; and 

 the creature, when again taken up, remained 

 implacable all the way to the boat, only ceasing 

 to kick when he was exhausted." 



Besides Furneaux's Islands, the Worm-bat 

 inhabits the mountains and several islands to 

 the Westward of Port Jackson. In all these 

 places its habitation is under ground, being ad- 

 mirably formed for burrowing, but what depth 

 it descends does not seem to be ascertained. 

 According to the account given of it by the 

 natives, the wom-bat of the mountains is never 

 seen during the day, but lives retired in his hole, 

 feeding only in the night; but that of the 



