214 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



stance is greatly aided in killing them. Covered with mud from 

 head to foot, to retard perspiration, he either stands in wait at 

 the Kangaroos' camp or sneaks upon an already resting animal, 

 and at a short range easily transfixes it with his spear. 



The "Koppo" being the largest Kangaroo in the north, and 

 its flesh highly prized by the natives, the animal is subject to a very 

 vigorous persecution, and in consequence thereof is exceedingly 

 shy and wary — so shy as to be almost unapproachable in certain 

 localities to the European hunter. 



To observe this large Kangaroo at a close range is a rare 

 occurrence, and one that very seldom befell me ; but one of the 

 lay brothers of the Uniya mission-station on the Daly gave me 

 a few facts from his experience. For a long time the missionaries 

 were living to a great extent on Kangaroo flesh, and, being an 

 excellent shot, it usually fell to the lot of this brother to procure 

 the animals. Armed with a rifle, he would quietly invade the 

 Kangaroo camp. The mob would then flee, and my lay brother, 

 hiding himself amongst the stones, waited in perfect quietness. 

 After some time the animals would return, first the young ones, 

 then the adults, and very soon the camp life would go on as usual. 

 The young animals would, according to his statement, exhibit great 

 agility and playfulness, fight and box each others' ears, whereas 

 the old individuals were more lazy and slow in their movements. 

 An old Kangaroo will, with an utterly comical expression in its 

 stupid face, stretch its huge limbs and scratch its ears like a 

 sleepy man. When an " old man " was wounded it would pluckily 

 attack, and my narrator had made a kind of rough cutlass which 

 he employed in slashing down the wounded Kangaroos to save 

 his small store of ammunition. 



At any time of the year young animals which recently have 

 left the pouch are seen accompanying their mothers, and I think 

 this may justify the conclusion that the Macropus antilopinus, 

 like most other marsupials, breeds all the year round. 



Macropus agilis. " Ma" ; " Bulak." 



The Jungle or River Kangaroo, the most common Macropus 



of the north, is found in countless numbers at nearly every large 



river in Arnhem Land. The day is spent resting in the shade of 



the jungle, where the animals, singly and in small droves, stretch 



