Whitens journal of a 
1788. power, and are, perhaps, beyond all parallel, out of 
June. proportion, when con^ipared with the fore parts. As it 
goes, it jumps on its two hind legs, from twenty to twenty- 
eight feet, and keeps the two fore ones clofe to the breaft ; 
thefe are fmall and fhort, and it feems to ufe them much 
like a fquirrel. The tail of thefe animals is thick and long ; 
they keep it extended, and it ferves as a kind of counterpoife 
to the head, which they carry erecl, when bounding at 
full fpced. The velocity of a Kangaroo as far outftrips 
that of a greyhound, as that animal exceeds in fwiftnefs a 
common dog. It is a very timid, fhy, and inoffenlive 
creature, evidently of the granivorous kind. Upon our 
firft difcovering one of them, as it docs not ufe its fore feet 
to aflift it in running, or rather jumping, many were of 
opinion that the tail, which is immenfely large and long, 
was made ufe of by them in the acl of progreflion ; but this 
is by no means the cafe. Had it been ufed in fuch a manner, 
the hair would probably have been worn away from the 
part which, of courfe, muft be applied to the ground. The 
tail, from its lize and weight, feems to ferve it for a weapon 
both of defence and offence ; for it docs not appear that 
nature has provided it with any other. Its mouth and head, 
even 
