250 MARSUPIALIA. 



Of the Kangaroo [Macropus major, Shaw] . 



This animal, probably from its size, was the principal one taken 

 notice of in this island ; and the only parts at first brought home, were 

 some skins and skulls ; and I was favoured with one of the skulls from 

 Sir Joseph Banks 1 . 



As the teeth of such animals as are already known, in some degree 

 point out their digestive organs, and so lead into the knowledge of other 

 parts, I was in hopes that I might in some degree have been able to 

 form an opinion of the particular tribe of the animals already known, 

 to which the kangaroo should belong : but the teeth did not accord with 

 those of any one class of animals I was acquainted with, therefore I 

 was obliged to wait with patience until I could get the whole animal ; 

 and in many of its other organs the deviation from other animals is not 

 less than in its teeth. In its mode of propagation it very probably 

 comes nearer to the opossum than any other animal, although it is not 

 at all similar to it in other respects. 



Its hair [is of a greyish-brown colour, similar to that of the wild 

 rabbit of Great Britain 2 ,] is thick and long when the animal is old, but 

 it is late in growing, and, when only begun to grow, is like a strong 

 down : however, in some parts it begins earlier than in others, as about 

 the mouth, anus, &c. In all the young kangaroos yet brought home 

 (although some are as large as a full-grown rat), there are all the 

 marks of a foetus : e. g., no hair ; ears clap'd close over the head ; no marks 

 on the feet of having been used in progressive motion : the large nail on 

 the great toe 3 is sharp at the point ; and the sides of the mouth are united 

 something like the eyelids of a puppy just whelped, having only a 

 passage at the anterior part. This union of the two lips on the sides is 

 of a particular structure, and wears off as the animal grows, and by the 

 time it is of the size of a small rabbit, disappears. 



The proportions of some of its parts bear no analogy to what is 

 common in most other animals, although it is in this respect more like 

 some than others. The disproportion in length between the fore-legs 

 and the hind-legs is very considerable, as also in their strength ; yet 



upon them, in which the anatomical structure is carefully avoided, as heing little 

 calculated for the generality of readers of a work of this kind." 



The anatomical notes appear for the first time in the present work. The above 

 published notice, like that by Dr. Patrick Russell (note, p. 241), of Hunter's MSS. 

 on Comparative Anatomy, forms important evidence of their authenticity.] 



1 [No. 1732, Hunt. Osteol. Series.] 



2 [This has been added to the printed description in White's ' Voyage ' before cited.] 



3 [Answering to the fourth in the five-toed hind-foot.] 



