A USTRALASIA ILL USTRA TED. 



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variety of forms. In the Australian region the marsupials occupy the position taken in 

 the other regions of the earth by the various families of the hoofed quadrupeds or 

 Ungulata, the gnawing quadrupeds or rodents, the carnivorous quadrupeds, the ant-eaters, 

 the insect-eating quadrupeds or Insect ivora, and the monkeys and lemurs. The various 



forms of ruminating 

 hoofed quadrupeds, 

 such as the antelopes 

 or deer, ma}' he said 

 to be represented in 

 Australia by the kan- 

 garoos and their allies ; 

 the beavers and other 

 gnawing animals are 

 represented by the 

 wombats; the true 

 cats and allied Carniv- 

 ora, by the native 

 cats and Tasmanian 

 devils ; the jackals and 

 wolves by the thylacine 



or marsupial wolf ; the Insectivora by the small in- 

 sect-eating marsupials ; the arboreal monkeys and 

 lemurs, by the phalangers, or Australian opossums, 

 and the koalas, or native bears. 



These and other families of marsupials present 

 us with great diversities of external form and mode 

 of life. The kangaroo family (Macropodidee), includes, 

 besides the kangaroos proper, the wallabies and 

 pademelons, hare-kangaroos, bettongs, kangaroo-rats and tree-kangaroos. They are all 

 characterized by the great relative length of the hind limbs, which alone are used in 

 locomotion the animal progressing by a series of powerful leaps with the body in 

 a semi-erect posture. There are only four toes on each hind foot, and of these 

 only two corresponding to the fourth and fifth of the complete foot, which are very power- 

 ful, especially the fourth are sufficiently well developed to be of much service. The fore- 

 limbs are much shorter than the hind-limbs, and are not used in ordinary locomotion, though 

 they are placed on the ground to support the weight of the fore-part of the body, when 

 the animal is grazing The body is characterized by its great breadth behind, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the haunches, and its 'relative narrowness in front, in the region of the chest. 

 There is a long and powerful tail, which is used to aid in supporting the body when the 

 animal is at rest, and to balance it during locomotion. The head has a shape not unlike 

 that of a doe, with large eyes and moderately developed ears. The whole surface is covered 

 with a soft fur of a brownish or reddish colour, lighter, sometimes almost white, under- 

 neath. These animals are the representatives among the Marsupials of the deer, antelopes, 

 and other ruminating cr cud-chewing animals of other regions, and like these they are 



T1IK HI.ACK DUCK. 







