THE WOMBAT. 



often be noticed fighting: they stand right up on almost the 

 tip of their hind feet and tail, and leaning back with the 

 full weight on the tail, they kick forward with their hind feet, 

 generally striking their opponent on the belly, and also claw- 

 ing at one another with their fore feet, but they seldom get 

 injured. During the fight they utter a hoarse kind of sound, 

 something like a harsh cough, but at other times are mostly 

 silent. 



The males are darker in color than the females, and grow 

 to a larger size, some measuring nine feet from tip to tip, and 

 weighing as much as 230 lbs. Old males are often called 

 "foresters," or " old man kangaroos," and they do not travel 

 far when chased, but soon bail up, standing up as in the 

 attitude of fighting. The females and young males are very 

 fleet, and can jump over obstacles of a considerable height, 

 and have been known to cover a space of 25 feet in one 

 spring. When the females have good-sized young, or joeys 

 in their pouch, and are hard pressed, they throw the young 

 ones out so as to give themselves greater freedom. When 

 feeding, their tails rest on the ground, and they use it to help 

 themselves along by resting their weight on it as they move 

 their feet forward together, but when they hop, they lean 

 their bodies well forward, and use their tails as a balance 

 only, and do not touch the ground with it, although the 

 popular belief is to the contrar}?. 



Before this country was inhabited by Europeans, these 

 animals were kept in check by natives and dingoes, but as 

 these disappeared, the kangaroos rapidly increased, and were 

 in such numbers in many places that battues had to be 

 organised to lessen ther number, when many hundreds were 

 killed in a single drive, and I heard of two men in the 

 Western District who shot 12,000 in one year. Poison and 

 ■other means were used to destroy them, until now very few 

 are left in Victoria. 



RED KANGAROO. 



(Macropus rufus). 



This Kangaroo is only found in the north and north- 

 western portion of Victoria, but is now rare. The males 

 grow to a large size, and are of a bright red colour, whereas 



R. C. HOCKING, 



'Clerical, Iji^rery & Undies' Tailor. 



PEICES MODEEATE. 

 39, MALOP STREET, GEELONG, {Opposite Bank of Victoria.) 



