86 



WALLABIES. 



TiiK Pearson Island \\'allabv. 

 Pcirogalc pcarsoni (Thomas, 1922). 



That a rock wallaby lived upon the northern portion of the northern island- 

 jnass of the Pearson's group has been for years common knowledge to the men 

 .employed in the coastwise traffic of the Bight. From its diurnal habits, from 

 -its comparatively large numbers in a very limited area, and from its habit of 

 frequenting the tops of the huge granite boulders which constitute the shoreline 

 of the island it is a conspicuous creature, readily seen from the deck of a ship 

 passing under shelter of the eastern side of the group. 



It is an exceedingly beautiful wallaby, its markings conspicuous in their 

 contrasts of dark lateral body stripes, white throat and chest, and bushy tufted 

 tail. On such level ground as the island affords its gait appears somewhat 



Fig. 4. 



Posterior extremit}' of the base of the skull 



of Isoodon tiaiiticiis to show the typical 



truncated bullae. Twice natural size. 



Fig. 5. 



Posterior extremity of the base of the skull of 



a small specimen of Isoodon ohcsulus to show 



the bullae, which are more elongated than those 



of /. iiauticus. Twice natural size. 



awkward, for it travels with the head low, and the tail arched conspicuously up 

 behind. It seems that for such progression it has to cant its body forwards at 

 an. ungraceful angle, for the tail is not used as a fulcrum as it is in the "scrub" 

 wallabies and kangaroos — it is carried sheer of the ground in all gaits. When 

 one is started across the more or less level saltbush areas it gets away at an 

 awkward gait, using every bush for cover as it goes ; but seeming to go in 

 general without regard to its bearings. When it wishes to see where its safest 

 line of retreat lies, or where it is threatened, it stops, puts up its head, and looks 

 around. But, short of stopping, it appears unable to raise its head from its 

 rather ungraceful stoop to take in any wide view. Though it may seem an 

 ungraceful animal on open bush coimtry, it is a very different creature when 

 seen upon thti huge, fantastic, granite boulders which constitute the main portion 

 of its island home. Here its movements are astonishing; there seems to be 

 no leap it will not take ; no chink between boulders into which it will not hiu'l 

 itself. There is no part of the northern portion of the islands that it does not 

 inhabit — it is at home on the naked granite boulders of the shore upon which 



