470 THE KANGAROO. 



woolly fur, and to lie upon its surface. The under parts of the body are of a yellowish 

 hue, and the breast is washed with a richer and deeper tint of chestnut. The tail is of 

 the same color as the body, and is of very great length, probably to aid the animal in 

 balancing itself as it climbs among the branches of the trees on which it loves to dis- 

 port itself. 



To see a Kangaroo on a tree is really a most remarkable sight, and one which might 

 well have been deemed a mere invention had it not often been attested by credible 

 witnesses. I have repeatedly seen one of these creatures clambering about a tree- 

 trunk with perfect ease, and ascending or descending with the security of a squirrel. 

 The animal looks so entirely in its wrong place, that, when the black-haired, long-legged 

 creature hops unexpectedly upon a tree and hooks itself among the branches, with its 

 long black tail dangling below it, the entire aspect of the animal is absolutely startling, 

 and suggestive of the super or, perhaps, the infer natural to the mind of the spec- 

 tator. This species is not, however, the only one that can ascend trees, an art which is 

 practised with some success by the Rock Kangaroo. 



The food of this species consists of vegetable substances, such as the young bark, 

 twigs, berries, and leaves of the trees upon which it lives, but very little is known of its 

 habits in a wild state. It is an inhabitant of New Guinea. 



AMONG the largest of the Macropidae is the celebrated KANGAROO, an animal which 

 is found spread tolerably widely over its native land. 



This species has also been called by the name of giganteus, on account of its very 

 great size, which, however, is sometimes exceeded by the woolly Kangaroo. The 

 average dimensions of an adult male are generally as follows : the total length of the 

 animal is about seven feet six inches, counting from the nose to the tip of the tail ; 

 the head and body exceed four feet, and the tail is rather more than three feet in length ; 

 the circumference of the tail at its base is about a foot. When it sits erect after its 

 curious tripedal fashion, supported by its hind-quarters and tail, its height is rather 

 more than fifty inches ; but when it wishes to survey the country, and stands erect 

 upon its toes, it surpasses in height many a well-grown man. The female is very much 

 smaller than her mate, being under six feet in total length, and the difference in size is 

 so great that the two sexes might well be taken for different species. 



The weight of a full-grown male, or " boomer," as it is more familiarly called, is very 

 considerable, one hundred and sixty pounds having often been attained, and even 

 greater weight being on record. The color of the animal is brown, mingled with gray, 

 the gray predominating on the under portions of the body and the under-faces of the 

 limbs. The fore-feet are black, as is also the tip of the tail. 



Without being truly gregarious, the Kangaroo is seldom seen entirely alone, but in 

 scattered groups of seven or eight in number, and even the members of these little 

 bands are not closely united, but are seen singly disposed at some distance from 

 each other. There are certainly instances on record where very large numbers of 

 Kangaroos have been seen in true flocks, herding closely together, and being under 

 the superintendence of one leader. These animals, however, belong to another, 

 species. 



As the Kangaroo is a valuable animal, not only for the sake of its skin, but on account 

 of its flesh, which is in some estimation among the human inhabitants of the same land, 

 it is eagerly sought after by hunters, both white and black, and affords good sport to 

 both, on account of its speed, its vigor, and its wariness. The native hunter, who trusts 

 chiefly to his own cunning and address for stealing unobserved upon the animal and 

 lodging a spear in its body before it is able to elude its subtle enemy, finds the Kangaroo 

 an animal which will test all his powers before he can attain his object, and lay the 

 Kangaroo dead upon the ground. 



There is also another but not so sportsmanlike a method of killing the Kangaroo, 

 which is often in use among the aborigines, and which partakes of the nature of a battue 

 in England, or a bear " skal " in Norway. 



A number of armed men associate themselves together, and, having laid deep counsel 

 about the plan of the hunt, proceed cautiously forward until they come upon a number 



