154 NOTES ON RECORDS OF TREE KANGAROOS IN QUEENSLAND. 



bones were picked up in a native camp near where Jerry had seen this ' bunyup,' which were collected 

 by Dr. Tate ; possibly these may throw some light on the mysterious animal found in these scrubs ; 

 the bark bearing the two toe-marks was also secured, but this. I fear, will not assist the solution of 

 the mystery very much." 



Extracts from a Letter sent to Mr. Cumbrae-Stewart by Dr. Tate, now Residing at 

 Peak Vale, near Clermont. Queensland. 



" It will give me great pleasure to impart what information 1 possess regarding the bones of the 

 Tree-kangaroo found by us at the head of the Bloomneld River. 



Extract from my Diary. — " Sept. 30//1, 1872. Camp 53. — . . . . Jerry wandered into the 

 bush near the camp, and soon returned with the news that he had come across a strange animal. His 

 description was such that we could scarcely believe him. He said that it was as large as a wallabj 

 and moved with the same hopping motion of the hind legs. When he first saw it, it was on the ground, 

 but it quickly took refuge in a tree, and thence passing to others was soon out of sight. Jerry is a 

 native of Hinchinbrook Island, and he told us that he had often heard of it from the mainland blacks, 

 who called it Brungari. 



" Oct. y>th. — Hann and I at daylight ascended the spur with Jerry where he had seen the strange 

 animal. We were not so fortunate as to come across one. but the blackboy showed us the track-marks 

 on several of the trees. We found an almost perfect skeleton, which I brought back to camp, though 

 Hann demurred at my taking such rubbish 



They proved, on examination, to be not those of a wallaby, but to be the remains of an animal 

 quite new to the whole party. The bones were packed as securely as possible, for I regarded them as 

 of special value. Unfortunately, we soon got into a very tight corner, and were unable to advance 

 much, sometimes not more than half a mile a day. The horses became very weak, so Hann had to 

 sacrifice nearly the whole of Norman Taylor's geological collection, much of the ammunition, etc., 

 and the bones." 



It was not until many years had elapsed that I again came upon the animal. In 1S94, when I 

 was in Cardwell, the blacks brought in a live Brongarry and gave it to Senior Constable MacManus, 

 who brought it to me to know what it was. We did all we could to keep it alive, but without success. 

 The constable claimed the skin, but gave me the body. Subsequent examination of the bones led 

 me to the conclusion that they were identical with those we had found on the Bloomneld." 



An early reference to the presence of Tree-kangaroos in Queensland is found in the Proceedings 

 of the Zoological Society of London for 1873, which reads as follows : — 



A letter was read from Dr. G. Bennett referring to the supposed existence of a species of Tree- 

 kangaroo (Dendiolagus) in Northern Queensland, some such animal being well known to the blacks 

 of Cardwell " 



In 1885, when commenting on the work of Lumholtz and Collett, Dr. Bennett remarked as 

 follows : — " You may recollect that in the ' Proceedings ' for 1873 (p. 518) I mentioned the supposed 

 existence of a Tree-kangaroc (Detidrolagus) in Northern Queensland, some such animal being apparently 

 well known to the blacks of Cardwell, who report that it is a Kangaroo that climbs trees and leaves 

 deep scratches on the bark. I heard of such an animal from many other sources when in Queensland. 1 ' 



