CHAP. XXII X.] OF THE PAPUAN fSLANm. 575 



for the iiatiiraliet tfj explore, and the only region wb(iri:5 

 altogether new and uiiimagined forms of life may perliap^s 

 be found. There is now, t am happy to say, some chance 

 that tliis great country will no lunger remuin absolutely 

 unknown to \m. The Dutch (tovenmient have granted a 

 well-equipped steamer to carry a naturalist (Mr. Eosen- 

 bei^, already mentioned in this work) and assistants to 

 New Guinea, where they are to spend some years in cir- 

 cumnavigating the island, ascending its la.i^e rivers as 

 far aa possible into the interior, and making extensive 

 collections of its natural productions. 



The Mammalia of Kew Guinea and the adjacent islantls, 

 yet discovered, are only seventeen in number. Two of 

 these are bats, one is a pig of a peculiar species (Sua 

 papuensis), and the rest ai^e all marsupials. The bata 

 are, no doubt, much more numerous, but there is every 

 reason to believe that whatever new land Mammalia may 

 be di.scovered will lielong to the marsupial order. One 

 of these is a true kangaroo, very similar to some of tlui 

 niiddle-sised kangaroos of Australia, and it is remarkahltj 

 as being the fij-st animal of the kind ever se^ji by l^uro- 

 peans. It inhabits Mysol and the Ani Islands (an allied 

 species being found in Xew Guinea), and was seen and 

 described by Brun in 1714, from living specimens at 

 Batavia. A much more extraordinary creature is the tree- 

 kangaroo, two species of which are known from Kew 

 Guinea. Tliese animals do not differ very strikingly in form 

 from the terrestrial kangaroos, and appear to be but imper- 

 fectly adapted to an arboreal life, as they move rather 

 slowly, and do not seem to have a very secure footing on 

 the limb of a tree. The leaping power of the muscular tail 

 is lost, and powerful claws have been acquired to assist 

 in climbing, but in other respeeta the animal seems better 

 adapted to walk on terra Jirma. This imperfect adapta- 

 tion may be due to the fact of there being no carnivor;i 

 in New Guinea, and no enemies of any kind fmm which 

 these animals have to escape by rapid climbing. Four 

 species of Cnscus, and the small flying opossum, also in- 

 habit New Guinea ; and there are live other f^mfdler mar- 

 supials, one of which u the 8i:2e of a rat, and takes its 

 place by entering houses and devouring proviaioua. 



