Zoological Society. 449 



his fore-arms, and wlille tlms holding tliein, inflicting dreadful and 

 often fatal wounds with liis foot. Old dogs well broken in, and ac- 

 customed to hunting the Boomer, will keep him at bay bj^ their 

 barking till the hunter comes up, who is generally furnished with a 

 short heavy stick, and with a blow or two on the head brings the 

 animal down. Even the hunter often runs a hazard, for a Boomer 

 will frequently, on the approach of man, leave the dogs and attack 

 his new opponent most fiercely ; and at times it is no easy matter to 

 avoid being severely cut in attempting to kill it. When closely pur- 

 sued it takes to the water, and as the dogs approach, catches them 

 in its arms and holds them under him till drowned. If the water be 

 too shallow for drowning them, it has been known to catch one dog 

 and place it beneath its feet, while courageously waiting the ap- 

 proach of a second. I'he swiftest runner is the female of the first 

 year before having young, and of the second year with her first 

 young; at this age her speed is so great that she is termed the 

 ' Flying Doe' : if she obtains anything like a fair start, she will give 

 the fleetest dogs a long and severe run, and will frequently succeed 

 in outstripping them ; upon finding herself too closely pressed she 

 attempts to evade the dogs by making a sudden leap, almost at a 

 right angle with her course, and the dogs, not unfrcquently when 

 very close to her, and at full speed, bound past her to such a distance, 

 that by the time they regain the track the kangaroo has gained so 

 much ground as to get fairly away ; but this stratagem often accele- 

 rates her death, for in turning off so suddenly the whole weight is 

 thrown upon one limb ; the leg is consequently broken, the animal 

 falls, and the next moment becomes an easy prey. Even large bucks 

 are sometimes taken in this way : in their flight and anxiety to escape 

 the dogs, they often run against a stump or a tree with such violence 

 as to be killed on the spot. 



" It would scarcely be supposed, from seeing this animal in con- 

 finement, where it api)ears so quiet and harmless, that it can be 

 excited to rage and ferocity; yet such is the case in a state of 

 nature. Upon finding itself without a chance of escape, it summons 

 up all its energies for a last struggle, and would often come off victor 

 if it had dogs alone to contend with : the moment it sees the ap- 

 proach of man, it appears to know instinctively that he is its most 

 formidable opponent ; its lips are then curved and contracted ; its 

 eyes sparkle with rage, and seem ready to start from their sockets ; 

 its ears are in rapid and constant motion, and it utters its peculiar 

 though not loud voice — a sort of smothered grunt, half hiss or hard 

 breathing ; its attention is totally withdrawn from the dogs to its 

 new enemy ; regardless of their rush, it loses its former advantage ; 

 and the dogs having once fairly got hold, the animal is easily brought 

 down. 



" If a female with a tolerably large young one in the pouch be 

 pursued, she will often, by a sudden jerk, throw the little creature 

 out : whether this is done for her own protection, or for the j^urpose 

 of misleading the dogs, has been debated by hunters ; I am inclined 

 to think the former is the case, for I have observed that the dogs 



Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Fo/. xiv. 2H 



