1 82 THE FOOD OF ANIMALS 



possesses a long prehensile tail. The food is said to consist 

 mainly of nectar, and this is extracted from the recesses of flowers 

 by means of a long, slender tongue, which can be protruded from 

 the unusually small mouth for a considerable distance. An 

 adaptation of this kind could only have arisen in a country like 

 Australia, where numerous plants possessing nectar - yielding 

 flowers are to be found blossoming at all seasons. It is extremely 

 probable that the minute insects which are often found lurking 

 in or near the nectar-producing parts of flowers also constitute a 

 part of this animal's food. 



The Herbivorous Marsupials embrace the Kangaroos [Mac- 

 ropodidcs), which present a considerable range in size, structure, 

 and habit. One common feature is the greater development of 

 the hind-limbs, which, together with the strong tail, are used to 

 support the body as a camera is supported by its tripod, and in 

 this way the strongly-clawed five-fingered fore-limbs are liberated 

 for use as hands, acting as very efficient prehensile organs. 

 Three pairs of cutting incisors are imbedded in the front of the 

 upper jaw, and opposed to these below is a single pair of rela- 

 tively huge front teeth growing straight forwards. Canines are 

 absent or only feebly represented by a small upper pair, and 

 there are in all twenty cheek-teeth, in the form of grinders with 

 crowns adapted for crushing. The stomach is folded in a com- 

 plex way, as often happens in plant-eating mammals. A series 

 showing increasing specialization as regards teeth, and dispro- 

 portion between fore- and hind-limbs, is presented by the Tree- 

 Kangaroos, Rat - Kangaroos, Rock Kangaroos, and the forms 

 with which the name of the group is most commonly associated. 

 Tree- Kangaroos {Dendrolagus^ are small arboreal species inhabit- 

 ing New Guinea, and at first sight are so little specialized that 

 an ordinary observer would scarcely think their name justifiable. 

 The remaining members of the series are characteristic of the 

 Australian continent, and do not climb trees, though the Rock- 

 Kangaroo is an expert climber among rocks. Rat- Kangaroos 

 [Hypsiprymnus) are small springing forms living mostly on grass- 

 land, and sometimes burrowing to obtain the succulent underground 

 parts of certain plants. Rock- Kangaroos {Petrogale) look like 

 small kangaroos of the ordinary sort, these latter including the 

 larger forms [Macropus), which are the most specialized members 

 of the group, and are commonly seen in captivity in the Zoo. 



