WALLABIES 



227 



southern Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, represented in Tasmania 

 by the race known as Bennett's wallaby. This species is the largest member of 

 the wallaby group, attaining a length of about six feet, inclusive of the tail. Near- 

 akin is the black-tailed wallaby (M. ualabatus), of Victoria and New South 

 Wales ; while a third is Parry's wallaby (M. parryi), a slender, long-tailed species 

 inhabiting the mountainous districts of Queensland and the north of New South 

 Wales. The agile wallaby (if. agilis), distinguished from the other species by the 

 uniformly sandy colour of the short hair on the back, and the distinct white stripe 

 on the flanks, is a native of the Northern Territory, Queensland, and New Guinea. 

 In the smaller wallabies the bodily size does not much exceed that of a rabbit ; 

 and owing to their relatively shorter hind-legs the members of this group are by 

 no means such good jumpers as their larger relatives. They have a wider 

 geographical range than the typical kangaroos and larger wallabies, being 

 represented by one species in the Aru Islands, and another in New Britain. A 

 third kind is the red-bellied wallaby (M. billardieri), of Victoria and Tasmania ; 

 a fourth is the short-tailed wallaby (M. braehyurus), of western Australia ; while 

 the common pademelon wallaby (M. theditis) represents the group in Victoria, 

 New South Wales, and Queensland. 



Yet another well-marked group---this time a genus — is formed bv 



Rock-VT&UcLlsics 



' the rock-wallabies of Australia, all of which are of medium size, with 

 no hair around the nose, and a short fourth claw to the hind-foot. They are further 

 distinguished from the typical wallabies by the thinner tail, which is more or less 

 tufted at the tip and less adapted to serve as a support for the body. While the 

 typical wallabies are dwellers in the plains, the rock-wallabies, as their name 

 implies, frequent more rugged districts. Among them, the brush-tailed wallaby 

 (Petrogale penicillata) associates in parties on the rocky portions of the eastern 

 coast. In this species the coat consists of long, coarse brown hair, with a 

 tendency to rufous, but passing into pale grey on the chin and chest. The length 

 averages about 52 inches, inclusive of the tail, which measures nearly 23 inches. 

 A second kind, the yellow- footed rock- wallaby (P. xanthopus), of South Australia, 

 is the largest of the group, and is distinguished by its bright colouring and 

 markings, particularly on the tail, which is brown and pale yellow on the upper 

 side, in alternating rings. The under surface is yellowish or brownish white ; and 

 above the eyes is an orange spot, while below them a whitish stripe runs from the 

 muzzle to behind the ears. The long ears, are yellow, with white margins on the 

 inner side, except at the tips, and between them commences a distinct black stripe, 

 which extends along the grey back to the middle of the body, while there is also 

 a white stripe from the shoulder to the hip on each flank. Among species 

 smaller than the brush-tailed wallaby, the short-eared rock -wallaby (P. 

 brachyotis) takes its name from the very short fawn-coloured ears, which are 

 edged and tipped with white. 



Nau-taiied The nail-tailed wallabies, which are also unknown in Tasmania, 



wallabies. anc j appear to be exclusively inhabitants of dry and rocky districts, 



have hairy muzzles, and are further distinguished by the great length and slenderness 



of the fourth hind-toe, but more especially by the presence at the tip of the tapering 



tail of a kind of horny spur, of which the function is still unknown. This spur is 



