HALMATURUS AGILIS, Gould. 
Ag*ile Wallaby. 
Halmatums agilis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part ix. p. 81. — Ib. Monograph of the Macropodidae, pi. 
Hamb. et Jacq. Voy. an Pole Sud, pi. 19. — Gould, Mon. of Macropodidse, pi. 
Binoe, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. p. 58. 
Macropus (^Halmatums') agilis, Waterh. Nat. Hist, of Mamm., vol. i. p. 108. 
This species of Wallaby may be readily distinguished from every other by its short, wiry, adpressed hair, 
and the almost uniform sandy-brown colour of the body ; the male is also remarkable for having very 
powerful incisors, and for having the outer toe much developed, whence results a deep cleft between it and 
the middle one ; the head is also longer and more pointed than in any other species which I have seen. 
The Agile Wallaby appears to be abundant on all the low swampy lands of the northern coast of Australia. 
I have seen many specimens from the Cobourg Peninsula ; and it is common both near the settlement of 
Port Essington and at Raffles’ Bay. I have also had others placed at my disposal for the purpose of 
describing by Mr. Bynoe of H.M.S. the Beagle, which were collected on the shores of Torres Straits. It 
is stated to be a most agile species, readily eluding the dogs employed in hunting it by its extreme activity 
in leaping among the high grass ; when chased it frequently seeks shelter in the thick beds of mangroves, 
passing over the muddy flats in such a manner as almost to haffle pursuit. 
In size, when full-grown, the male is nearly equal to H. Ualabatus. 
In some notes by Mr. John M‘Gillivray on the animals observed by him at Port Essington, it is stated 
that a young one, very large in proportion to the size of the mother, was taken from the pouch of a female 
shot by him at Barrow’s Bay, and that it did not differ in its colouring in any respect. He adds that the 
species is very common at Port Essington, where it frequents the tall grass of the low grounds, especially 
where the Pandanus-tree abounds, under the shelter of which it generally forms its lair. It is extremely 
active in its movements, and when pursued by dogs makes for the nearest jungle or mangrove thicket. 
I now believe the Halmaturus Binoe, described by me as a distinct species in the 10th Part of the 
“ Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London,” to be merely tbe young of this animal, and I have 
consequently placed that name among its synonyms. 
Fur rather short, adpressed, and harsh to the touch ; general colour sandy-yellow; the upper surface of 
the head and body freely pencilled with blackish, the hairs being of this colour at the point ; chin, throat 
and chest dull white ; abdomen yellow, the hairs terminated with white ; limbs pale sandy-yellow externally 
and white on their inner side, the arms externally pencilled with blackish ; tarsi nearly white, passing into 
rusty on the toes ; lips whitish, and a whitish mark from the lip to beneath the eye, parallel with which is 
another of a dusky hue ; ears white within, externally sandy-yellow at the base and broadly margined with 
black at the apex, and with a narrow black line along the inner edge ; on each side of the rump an oblique 
whitish line ; tail sparingly clothed with nearly white hairs, except at the base, which is like the body ; the 
tip of the tail black. 
Male. 
feet, inches. 
Length from the nose to the base of the tail 5 3 
„ of tail 2 6 
„ „ tarsus and toes, including the nail 10 
„ „ arms and hand, including the nails 9 
„ „ face from the tip of the nose to the base of the ear ... 6 
The first of the accompanying Plates represents the head of a dead animal of the natural size ; the second, 
reduced figures of both sexes. 
