FAMILY C LAVICULATA. WITH PERFECT COLLAR BONES. 



The Great Kangaroo (H. Gigas) : the largest species measures five or six 

 feet from the tip of the nose to the root of the tail, which itself is about 

 two and a half feet long ; the skin is of a sooty- brown colour, deeper on the 

 back than on the sides, and inclining to a light grey on the neck, chest, 

 and belly. It is found on Kangaroo Island on the south coast of New 

 Holland, where, Peron says, it is when sitting about the height of a man. 

 (Plate 11.) 



The Moustached Kangaroo (H. Labiatus) has been improperly called 

 the Great Kangaroo, as it is at least a foot shorter than the last species. 

 It is found in the neighbourhood of Botany Bay, Port Jackson, and the 

 banks of the Endeavour River, New Holland. 



The Eeddish-grey Kangaroo (H. Rufogriseus) is about three feet and a 

 half long from the snout to the root of the tail. 



The Bed-necked Kangaroo (H. Ruficollis) is not quite two feet in length. 



The Eugene Kangaroo (H. Eugenii) measures about twenty-two inches 

 long. 



The Banded Kangaroo (H. Fasciatus), and the Lebrun Kangaroo (H. 

 Brunii), about two feet ten inches in length. This last is the only 

 species not found immediately in New Holland, it being a native of the 

 Aroe Isles, between New Guinea and Arnheim's Land, and also in the 

 Isle of Solor, one of the Isles of Sunda. 



Kangaroo-hunting is thus described in the Journal of Captain Gray. 

 After representing the stealthy approach of a native, and the alarm of danger 

 evinced by the animal on catching the sound of his enemy's footsteps, the 

 Captain proceeds : " About a hundred yards to the right of the native, 

 you will see the Kangaroo erect upon its hind legs, and supported by its 

 tail ; it is reared to its utmost height, so that its head is between five and 

 six feet above the ground ; its short fore paws hang by its side, its ears 

 are pointed it is listening as carefully as the native, and you see a little 

 head peering out from its pouch, to inquire what has alarmed its mother. 

 But the native moves not, you cannot tell whether it is a human being or 

 the charred trunk of a burned tree which is before you, and for several 

 minutes the whole group preserve their relative position ; at length the 

 Kangaroo becomes reassured, drops upon its fore paws, gives an awkward 

 leap or two, and goes on feeding, the little inhabitant of its pouch stretching 

 its head further out, tasting the grass its mother is eating, and evidently 

 debating whether or not it is safe to venture out of its resting-place, and 

 gambol about amongst the green dewy herbage. 



" Meantime the native moves not until the Kangaroo, having two or 

 three times resumed the attitude of listening, and having, like a Monkey, 

 scratched its side with its fore paw, at length once more abandons itself in 

 perfect security to its feed, and playfully smells and rubs its little one. 

 Now the watchful savage, keeping his body unmoved, fixes the spear first 

 in the throwing-stick, and then raises his arms in the attitude of throwing, 

 from which they are never again moved until the Kangaroo dies or runs 

 away. His spear being properly secured, he advances slowly and stealthily, 

 no part moving but his legs ; whenever the Kangaroo looks round, he 

 stands motionless in the position he is in when it first raises its head, until 

 the animal, again assured of its safety, gives a skip or two and goes on 

 feeding. Again the native advances; and this scene is repeated many 

 times, until the whistling spear penetrates the devoted animal. Then the 

 wood rings with shouts ; women and children all join, pell-mell, in the 

 chace ; the Kangaroo, weak from the loss of blood, and embarrassed by 

 the long spear, which catches in the brushwood as it flies, at length turns 

 on its pursuers, and, to secure its rear, places its back against a tree, pre- 

 paring at the same time to rend open the breast and entrails of its pursuer, 

 by seizing him in its fore paws, and kicking with its hind legs and claws ; 

 but the wily native keeps clear of so murderous an embrace, and from the 

 distance of a few yards throws spears into its breast, until the exhausted 

 animal falls, and is theii soon despatched ; when, w'ith the assistance of 

 his wives, he takes the fore legs over his left, and the hind legs over his 

 right shoulder, and totters with his burden to some convenient resting- 

 place, where they can enjoy their meal." 



ORDER V. GNAWERS. RODENTIA. 



THESE animals are unable to seize and tear living 

 prey ; but by their small and chisel-like teeth they 

 can gnaw (Rodo, I gnaw) through some of the 

 hardest substances of the forest, many of them feed- 

 ing on the bark of trees, and even on wood. The 

 natural divisions and connecting link of this order 

 have not yet been as perfectly discovered, nor 

 indeed do they appear to be so distinctly marked, as 

 in other orders. 



Teeth of Rodentia. 



Family WITH PERFECT COLLAR BONES ; Claviculata. 



The genera composing this family possess a well-developed clavicle; 

 hence the appellation. 



ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES. 

 PLATE 12. 



Species. 



Common Name. 



Hypudseus ----- Lemnus ----- Lemming. 



Myoxus ----- Avellanarius - - - Dormouse. 



Casta ------Fiber------ Common Beaver. 



Hydromys ----- Coypu ----- Molina's Coypu. 



Mus Rattus Black Rat. 



Dipus ------ Jaculus ----- ^Egyptian Jerboa. 



PLATE 13. 



Pedetes --- 

 Arctomys -- 



Capensis --- 

 Alpinus --- 



-- Cape Jerboa. 

 -- Alpine Marmot. 



Other Genera of this Family : Fiber, Meriones, Myopotamus, Oudatra, 

 Saccomys, Saccophorus, Sciurus, Spermophilus, Tamias. 



CHARACTERS OF THE GENERA. 



1. HYPUD^EUS (Gr. viro, under, and owciac, the ground. Incisive teeth 

 covered by the lips, two in each jaw, smooth in front, the lower having 

 a wedge-shaped, rounded, cutting edge; molar three on a side hi each 

 jaw, the hinder the smallest, all placed close to each other, with broad 

 crowns, having the ivory and enamel intermixed ; snout short and obtuse ; 

 ears small and rounded ; tail round, hairy, and short ; toes distinct, five in 

 front, or four with a thumb-nail and five behind. 



2. MYOXUS (Gr. five, a Mouse, and OVE, sharp). Incisive teeth two 

 in each jaw ; the upper broadish and not grooved, the lower narrow and 

 much sharper ; molar teeth four on a side in each jaw, with distinct fangs 

 and crowns marked with two kinds of transverse ridges by a double line of 

 enamel ; nose sharp ; ears of moderate size ; tail long, sometimes very hairy 

 and round, at other times flattened horizontally, and the hairs standing out 

 on the sides like the webs of a feather, and sometimes tufted at the tip ; 

 feet four-toed in front, with a rudimental thumb, five-toed behind ; claws 

 falcular. 



3. CASTOR (Gr. KaVrwp, a Beaver). Tail flat, 

 oval-shaped, and covered with scales ; five toes to | 

 each foot, those of the hind feet webbed ; grinding 



teeth four on either side in each jaw. Molar Tecth of Beaver ' 



4. HYDROMYS (Gr. vSiap, water, and five, a Mouse). Molar teeth two 

 on a side in each jaw ; their crown obliquely quadrangular, and hollowed 

 like a spoon ; feet five-toed, the front toes distinctly divided, the hind either 

 entirely or half-webbed ; claws sharp, flattened ; tail as long as the body. 



5. Mus. Incisive teeth two in either jaw, those of the lower narrower 

 and more pointed ; molar three on a side above and below ; of the upper, 

 the first has six blunt tubercles, the first two of which are placed in trans- 

 verse lines, and the next three in a second, and the sixth singly in a third ; 

 the second and third molars have four tubercles, of which one is placed in 

 front, another behind, and two in the middle situated obliquely from with- 

 out to within ; of the lower, the first has five tubercles, a single one in front, 

 the others in pairs, the second four in pairs, the third three, one in front, 

 and a pair of tubercles behind ; tail moderate-sized or long, ringed, scaly, 



F2 



