OSPHRANTER ANTILOPINUS, GoM. 



Red Wallaroo. 



Spec. Char. — Mas. Osph. vellere rigido, adpresso ; colore ferruginoso, apiidfaciem et humeros pallidiore j corpore subtiis 

 albo. 

 F(EM. Vellere minus rigido et magh lawo quam in mare ; colore ex arenaceo fuscescente, apud humeros, nucham, et 

 faciem vinaceo-cinereo ; nota flmescenti-fulm ante aures, et altera pallidiore per labrum duct a. 

 Descr. — Male. Fur of the body rigid and adpressed; general colour rusty red, becoming paler on the face and 

 shoulders, and white or yellowish white on the throat, chest, abdomen and inside of the limbs ; hands and feet 

 dark reddish brown, passing into black on the toes ; tip of the tail reddish brown. 

 Female. Fur less rigid and more loose than in the male ; general colour reddish sandy brown, passing into vinous 

 grey on the shoulders, back of the neck and face ; base of the ear externally dark brownish grey, passing into 

 yellowish white towards the tips ; immediately in front of the ear a conspicuous patch of yellowisli buff; a light 

 buff mark also extends from beneath the eye along the upper lip ; throat, chest, abdomen and inside of the limbs 

 pale yellowish white ; hands and feet dark brown, becoming black towards the nails. 



Male. Female. 



feet. inches. feet, inches. 



Length from the nose to the extremity of the tail 7 3. .5 6 



„ of tail 2 9. .2 3 



„ „ tarsus and toes, including the nail 1 1.. 11 



„ „ arm and hand, including the nails 1 2.. 11 



„ ,, face from the tip of the nose to the base of the ear ... 7-|- . . 6 



„ „ ear 4^ . . 3^ 



Osphranter Antilopinus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, Part IX. p. 80. 



Mar-ra-a-woke of the Aborigines of Port Essington. 



From the period at which Australia was first visited by our enterprising navigators to the present time, our know- 

 ledge of its natural" productions has been almost entirely confined to those of the narrow and limited tract of land 

 bordering its eastern and southern shores ; and it may fairly be said, that the whole of the zoology of the vast range of 

 country washed by the seas of Torres' Straits is as much or more unknown than that of any similar extent of country in 

 the world ; and in exemplification of what I have here asserted of our ignorance of the productions of that region, I may 

 mention that the noble Kangaroo here figured is only one of many new and interesting animals 1 have lately received 

 from these parts. It is very abundant on the Cobom'g Peninsula, and I have no doubt that, when the country towards 

 the interior from these parts is explored, it will there be found in great numbers, particularly on the hilly ground, and 

 that it possesses an extensive range, assimilating very closely in habits and economy to the great Black Wallaroo 

 (^Osphranter robustus'), its remarkable analogue of the southern and eastern coasts. 



Two very fine specimens, from which my figures and dimensions are taken, were collected by Mr. Gilbert while at 

 Port Essington, and these in all probability are the only perfect specimens in Europe : the weight of the male was 

 about one hundred and twenty pounds. Captain Chambers, however, late of H.M.S. Pelorus, has placed at my disposal, 

 for the purpose of comparison, &c., several imperfect skins of this species, which clearly indicate that the animal 

 frequently attains a much larger size ; and that gentleman also assured me that he has himself seen examples weighing 

 one hundred and seventy pounds ; few species therefore exceed it in size, and certainly, with the exception of Macropus 

 laniger, none in the richness of its colour and markings. Captain Chambers further informed me, that when hardly 

 pressed in the chase it becomes exceedingly fierce and bold, and while among the rocks a most dangerous animal to 

 encounter, one of his finest dogs being tumbled over a precipice and killed by an old male : in this fierceness of 

 disposition it exhibits a striking resemblance to the Black Wallaroo ; they also closely assimilate in the diminutive 

 size of their females. 



