CHAPTER II. 



THE KANGAROOS, PHALANGERS, AND WOM- 

 BATS. 



THE KANGAROO — THE WOOLLY KANGAROO — THE WALLABEE — THE ROCK KANGAROO — THE TREE 

 KANGAROO — THE KANGAROO HARE — THE JERBOA KANGAROO — THE POTOROO— THE KOALA — 

 THE SOOTY PHALANGIST — THE VULPINE PHALANGIST — THE CUSCUS — THE TAGUAN — THE GREAT 

 FLYING PHALANGER — THE SUGAR SQUIRREL — OPOSSUM MOUSE — THE WOMBAT. 



THE most prominent characteristic of the family Macropodid^e 

 is the relative disproportion of their anterior and posterior 

 members. While the former are short and weak, the latter 

 are singularly long, thick, and strong. Thence the name of Macropodida 

 or "long-footed." The tail is long and powerful, and constitutes a sort 

 of fifth member, destined to facilitate in the Kangaroos that mode of 

 progression which is peculiai to them. 



GENUS MACROPUS. 



The four species of the genus have all powerful tails, not so long as 

 the body. 



The Kangaroo, Macropus major (Plate LXI1I), is sometimes called 

 the Great Kangaroo. The average dimensions of an adult male are gen- 

 erally as follows : 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. 



