78 MAMMALIA. 



vigorous leaps, however, with their hind feet, the great middle nail of which 

 (almost in the shape of a hoof) also serves them for purposes of defence ; for, 

 by supporting themselves on one foot and their enormous tail, they can inflict 

 a severe blow with that which is at liberty. They are very gentle herbivorous 

 animals, their grinders presenting mere transverse ridges. 



M. m<y'or, Shaw. (The Gigantic Kanguroo.) Sometimes six feet in 

 height. It is the largest of the New Holland animals ; was discovered by 

 Cook in 1779, and is now bred in Europe. Its flesh is said to resemble 

 venison. The young ones, which at birth are only an inch long, remain in the 

 maternal pouch even when they are old enough to graze, which they effect by 

 stretching out their necks from their domicile, while the mother herself is 

 feeding. These animals live in troops, conducted by the old males. They 

 make enormous leaps. It appears that we have hitherto confounded under this 

 name several species of New Holland and its neighbouring countries, whose 

 fur, more or less grey, only varies by a trifling difference of shade. 



KOALA, Cuvier. LISCURCS, Gold. 



The fifth subdivision has two long incisors in the 

 lower jaw, but no canini ; in the upper, two long in- 

 cisors in front, a few small ones on the sides, and two 

 small canines. It comprehends but one genus. 



The Koake have a short, stout body, short legs, 

 and no tail. The toes of their fore feet, five in num- 

 ber, when about to seize any object, separate into two 

 groups ; the thumb and index on one side, and the 

 remaining three on the other. The thumb is wanting 

 on the hind foot; the two first toes of which are 

 united like those of the phalangers and the kanguroos. 

 One species only is known, which is represented above the 



K. cinerea. (The Koala.) Ash-coloured; passes one part of its life in 

 trees, and the other in burrows which it excavates at their foot. The mother 

 carries her young one for a long time on her back. 

 Finally, our sixth division of the Marsupialia, or the 



PHASCOLOMYS, Geaffroy*, 



Consists of animals which are true Rodent ia in the teeth and intestines, their 

 only relation to the Carnaria consisting in the articulation of their lower jaw; 

 and in a rigorously exact system it would be necessary to class them with the 

 Rodentia. We should even have placed them there, had we not been led to 

 them by a regular uninterrupted series from the Opossums to the Phalangers, 

 from the latter to the Kanguroos, and from the Kanguroos to the Phascolomys. 

 They are sluggish animals, with large flat heads, and bodies that look as if 



* Phascolomys^ a pouched rat ; from I)XUTKU)\OV and pw. 



