88 MAMMALIA. 



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. major, 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 con- 

 founded under this name several species of New Holland and its neighbour- 

 ing countries, whose fur, more or less grey, only varies by a trifling differ- 

 ence of shade. 



The fifth subdivision has two long incisors in the lower jaw but no 

 caninij in the upper, two long incisors in front, a few small ones 

 on the sides, and two small canines. It comprehends but one genus. 



KOALA, Cuv. 



The Koalas have a short, stout body; short legs, and no tail. The toes of 

 their forefeet, five in number, 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: 



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, GeofF.(l) 



Consists of Animals which are true Rodentia 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 Oposs- 

 ums to the Phalangers, from the latter to the Kanguroos, and from the Kan- 

 guroos to the Phascolomys. 



(1) Phascolomys, a pouched rat, from cj>*<rjca>\ov and/wwc. 



