2 4 o THE WILDERNESS AND JUNGLE 



of Australian packs would hardly have satis- 

 fied Beckford or Meynell. To the studious 

 naturalist, whom the zest of the chase leaves 

 cold, these pouched Australian animals, sur- 

 vivals from the earliest ages, may be infinitely 

 more attractive than the buffalo or lion, but 

 in a book devoted in great measure to tales 

 of adventure they must necessarily be ignored, 

 since their pursuit entails no more danger than 

 that of the sheep on a farm. An old kangaroo 

 may be formidable at bay, but no one armed 

 with a modern rifle would need to run the risk 

 of finding it in that position. 



