NEW SOUTH WALES. 433 



latecL The tail, which is thick at the base, and 

 tapers to a point, has at the end a strong 

 hard nail, and. the hair on it is short and some- 

 what hard. The tail, though long in the old, 

 is in the young short proportionally to the 

 animal's size. It seems to keep pace with the 

 growth of the hind legs, which are the instru- 

 ments of progressive motion in this animal, 

 and which would also shew that the tail is a 

 kind of second instrument in this action. 



The scrotum, which is large and pendulous, is 

 placed before ; and the female has, on the belly, 

 an oblong pouch, of a vast depth, the receptacle 

 of her young. 



The Kangaroo is frequently more than six feet 

 long, from the nose to the tail ; and its weight 

 of a hundred and fifty pounds and upwards. 



Kangaroo is the natives name for this extra- 

 ordinary animal. 



It lurks among the grass, feeds on vegetables, 

 and drinks by lapping. It goes chiefly on it's 

 hind legs ; making use of the fore feet as 

 hands, only for digging, or bringing its food 

 to its mouth. 



The Kangaroo is timid : at the sight of men 

 it flies from them by amazing leaps ; springing 

 over bushes seven or eight feet high, and go- 

 ing progressively from rock to rock. 



When in motion, this animal carries its tail 

 quite at right angles with its body ; and, as it 

 alights, often looks back. It is much too swift 

 for greyhounds, and frequently escapes from 



3 K 



