MAMMALS OF AUSTRALIA 185 



tively. More than one tame Kangaroo has learned the art of self- 

 defence. It is not uncommon to see pet Kangaroos and Wallabies 

 about homesteads in the Australian bush, and some city folk are fond 

 of having one on their premises. 



When pursued by the fierce dogs used to hunt them, female 

 Kangaroos are in the habit of thrusting the fore-paws into the pouch, 

 pulling the young one out and throwing it into a bush or somewhere 

 else. Some observers, who are loath to believe that Kangaroo 

 mothers can so pervert the maternal instinct as to abandon their 

 little ones, hold that when the young are cast from the pouch, as 

 described, they are thus treated to ensure their safety. It may be so, 

 but there is something to be said for the opposite view. 



The colloquial term for a young Kangaroo, all over Australia, 

 is "Joey." Few young animals are so charming and engaging as a 

 "Joey." Soft furred and with large, dreamy brown eyes, the baby 

 Kangaroo is irresistibly attractive. A quaint picture mother and 

 child make when the "Joey " pops its head out of the pouch to take 

 a brief survey of the outside world. And to see the female hopping 

 along with her beloved burden is equally charming. The "Joey" 

 stays in the pouch for some months, and even after it is sufficiently 

 "grown up" to feed beside its mother, it looks upon its old cradle 

 as a place of refuge in times of danger. It will take shelter in the 

 pouch when alarmed, diving in precipitately. 



The Kangaroos are exclusive vegetarians ; they feed on grass and 

 green herbage generally, so that it is not difficult to supply their 

 wants in captivity. Dr. George Home, of Melbourne, has a tame 

 Wallaby which is very fond of fresh lettuce-leaves. At feeding time 

 it comes bounding up to the wire-netting fence of its enclosure, and 

 when a lettuce is dropped over by a kindly hand, takes it daintily 

 between its front paws, sits up and munches away, as happy as a 

 school-boy with a tart. 



"Old Bushman," a sporting naturalist who camped in the 

 Mordialloc district of Victoria, over half a century ago, when wild 

 blacks still roamed where now is a thriving township, has some 

 delightful passages on Kangaroos in a little volume long since out 

 of print. He was a careful observer, and had opportunities which 

 can never come again. Here is a quotation from his half-forgotten 

 book of Bush Wanderings 



"Timid and shy, their " (the Kangaroos') "senses of sight, hearing 

 and smell are most acute. Like the Hare, they appear to be unable 



