34 



CLASS MAMMALIA. 



ORDER M ARSUPIALA. 



sandy-brown, varying in shade, but darkest on the back. The Wombat is 

 a slow-moving animal, its pace hobbling or shuffling like that of a Bear. 

 In disposition it is mild and gentle, but when provoked is furious. 



The following account is given by Sir E. Home of the manners of his 

 domesticated Wombat : " It burrowed," says he, " in the ground when- 

 ever it had an opportunity, and covered itself in the earth with surprising 

 quickness. It was quiet during the day, but constantly in motion during 

 the night ; was very sensible of cold ; ate all kinds of vegetables, but was 

 particularly fond of new hay, which it ate stalk by stalk, taking it into its 

 mouth like a Beaver, by small bits at a time. It was not wanting in 

 intelligence, and appeared attached to those to whom it was accustomed, 

 and who were kind to it. When it saw them, it would put up its fore- 

 paws on the knee, and when taken up would sleep on the lap. It allowed 

 children to pull and carry it about, and when it bit them did not appear 

 to do it in anger, or with violence. It appeared to have arrived at its full 

 growth, weighed about twenty pounds, and was about two feet two inches 

 long." It is found in the mountains near Port Jackson; and Captain 

 Flinders says it is " called by the natives Wamat, Wombat, or Womback, 

 according to the different dialects, or perhaps to the different rendering of 

 the wood-rangers who brought the information." Lesneur mentions that 

 it is valuable for its flesh, which appeared to him preferable to that of all 

 the other animals of Australia. (Plate 11.) 



PHASCOLABCTOS Koala. This genus, according to Goldfuss, forms the 

 link between the Kangaroos and the Wombats, having the connected two 

 inner hind toes of the former, and the bulky form of the latter. 



The Cinereous Koala (P. Cinereus) is between two and three feet in length, 

 the general form resembling that of a Bear ; the ears are short, wide, and 

 erect ; the eyes lively, always in motion, sometimes fiery and threatening. 

 Its fur is thick, consisting of soft fine hairs of a bluish-grey above, and 

 white beneath, according to Goldfuss and Cuvier, but chocolate-brown in 

 Blainville's description. It is generally seen sitting like a Dog, and the 

 female carries her young on her back. It inhabits the forests of New 

 Holland, about fifty or sixty miles south-west of Port Jackson, and was 

 first brought to that settlement in August 1803. It climbs well, and lives 

 on the tops of the blue gum trees, where it rests during the day, either 

 sleeping or feeding on its tender shoots, which it prefers to any other food ; 

 in the night it descends, and prowls about, scratching up the earth in search 

 of some particular roots. It seems to creep rather than walk, and when 

 incensed or hungry utters a long shrill yell, and assumes a fierce menacing 

 look. But in captivity it soon becomes attached to the person who feeds 

 it. The New Hollanders eat its flesh, and are on this score readily induced 

 to hunt in pursuit of it, climbing the gum trees for this purpose with great 

 dexterity. 



Family LONG-FOOTED GRAZERS OR LEAPERS ; Salienta. 



These animals, owing to the shortness of their fore legs, can make but 

 little progress in walking on all-fours ; but this defect is compensated by 

 their agility in leaping : hence their designation from the Latin saliens, 

 " springing," or " leaping up." 



Genera. Species. Common Name. 



HTpsiprymnus Murinus .... Potoroo. 



Halmaturus ml Macropus - Giganteo* - - - Great Kangaroo. 



CHARACTERS OF THE GENERA. 



1. HYPSIPRYMKUS (Gr. Jtyoc, high, and irpvpva, a ship's stern). Incisive 

 teeth eight above, the last on each side distant from the others ; the middle 

 two slightly conical, straight, and four times the length of the others; 

 incisive in the lower jaw, two inclined forwards ; molar five on a side in 

 either jaw, grinders, and tuberculated ; snout sharp, upper lip cleft ; ears 

 long and rounded ; whiskers half the length of the head ; tail moderate 

 sized, scaly, and slightly covered with hair ; fore feet five-toed, the outer 

 two toes the shorter ; hind feet thumbless, four-toed, the inner two con- 



nected, the middle twice as long as the others, and stronger ; toes clawed, 

 those of the fore feet adapted for digging. 



2. HALMATURUS (Gr. aX/ia, a leap, and ovpa, a tail). Incisive teeth, 

 six above of equal length, placed obliquely, two below long, large, sharp, 

 and inclined so as to be on the same plane with the jaw ; no cuspid teeth, 

 but a large void space between the incisive and molar teeth, which vary 

 according to the age of the animal, from four to seven on each side on 

 either jaw, the anterior the smaller ; their crowns tuberculated ; upper lip 

 cleft ; head of a lengthened form ; ears long and erect ; eyes large ; tail, in 

 length equal to the body, covered with close hairs ; limbs disproportioned 

 to each other, the fore legs very short, five-toed, hind legs of great length, 

 four-toed, the inner two very small and connected to the root of the claws, 

 which are sharp ; outer toe of moderate length ; between it and the inner 

 toes an enormously strong large toe, much exceeding either of the others 

 in length and thickness, the last phalanx shod with a kind of hoof, as is 

 also that of the outer ; the metatarsal bones very long ; when at rest the 

 whole foot, even to the hock, resting on the ground ; hair woolly. 



SALIENTA. DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES. 



HYPSIPRYMNUS Potoroo. This genus is considered by Cuvier as connect- 

 ing the predaceous with the herbivorous marsupial animals, from the former 

 of which they are especially distinguished by the deficiency of the thumb on 

 the hind foot. The length of their hind legs has given rise to their name ; and 

 in this circumstance they very much resemble the Kangaroos, to which, 

 except in size and the disposition of the teeth, they approach very near: 

 like them their progression is by leaping. Only one species is known. 



The Macropus Minor, or Lesser Kangaroo, called also Potoroo (H. Ma- 

 rinus), is about the size of a Rabbit six months old, of a pale-brown 

 mouse colour on the back, becoming lighter on the belly. Native of New 

 Holland. (Plate 11.) 



HALMATURUS Kangaroo. Kangaroos were first discovered in the year 

 1770 by some of the navigators in Captain Cook's expedition to New- 

 Holland. Like the 

 other marsupial ani- 

 mals, they are fur- 

 nished with a bag at- 

 tached to the lower 

 part of the abdomen, 

 and supported on the 

 sharebones by a pair 

 of bones peculiar to 

 this order, in which 

 the young animals are Skeleton of Kangaroo, 



received after birth, but when or how is not known, and here they remain 

 attached to the nipple of the parent until they have attained sufficient size 

 to shift for themselves ; prior, however, to their finally quitting this bag, 

 they occasionally leave it, in order probably to learn the method of pro- 

 viding for themselves, but upon the slightest fright they return to it again. 

 The tail in this genus is of remarkable length and strength ; it serves not 

 only as a third resting-point when the animal is at rest upon its haunches, 

 but answers the purpose of an offensive weapon, and is commonly employed 

 in locomotion to assist in the astonishing leaps which the Kangaroos ron- 

 tinually take in moving about, their 

 progresses being a series of springs 

 frequently of twenty feet at a time, 

 and not walking on all four extremities, 

 a position which they only assume 

 when feeding. They are herbivorous, 

 and have a remarkably curiously- 

 shaped stomach, and a very large ,,-^^ 

 caecum. They are harmless and in- 

 offensive, except when quarrelling Kangnroo. 

 about the females, or when attacked. 

 They have been naturalized in France and England. 



