HALMATURUS DORSALIS, 
Black-striped Wallaby. 
Halmaturus dorsalis. Gray in Mag. of Nat. Hist., vol. i. new series, p. 583.— Gould, Mon. of Macropodidte, pi. . 
Macropus (^Halmaturus) dorsalis, Waterh. in Jard. Nat. Lib. Marsupialia, p. 230.— Ib. Nat. Hist, of Mamm., vol. i. 
p. 152. 
This fine Wallaby, which is distinguished from all other species by the greater length of its tail, and by the 
black mark which commences at the occiput and runs down the centre of the back, is an inhabitant of the 
interior, and is particularly abundant in all the scrubs clothing the sides of the hills that run parallel to the 
rivers Mokai and Namoi ; and, although I cannot positively assert that such is the case, I have reason to 
believe that it inhabits all similar situations between the above-mentioned localities and the great Murray 
scrub in South Australia. I have never heard of its having been seen between the ranges and the coast, a 
circumstance that may be attributed to tbe brush being of a totally different character, and the vegetation 
more dense and humid than on the dry stony hills of the interior. Like the other members of the genus, 
it is strictly gregarious, and is so numerous, that I found no difficulty in procuring as many specimens as 
I pleased ; it was, however, more often shot as an article of food than for any other purpose. Its flesh 
is excellent, and when the vast continent of Australia becomes more thickly inhabited, it will doubtless be 
justly esteemed. The natives often resort to the haunts of this species, and commit great havoc among 
them, both for the sake of their flesh as food, and for their skins as articles of clothing. They have various 
modes of capturing them, sometimes making use of large nets ; at other times they are driven by dogs from 
side to side of the brush, which affords the hunters abundant opportunities of spearing or killing them with 
the waddy as they pass the open spots. 
It is especially abundant at Brezi, to the northward of the Liverpool Plains, and I also found it extremely 
numerous in the Brigaloe brush on the Lower Namoi. 
The female is distinguished by her smaller size, but in tbe markings of the two sexes no difference exists. 
The full-grown males of this species weigh from twenty to twenty-five pounds. 
Fur rather harsh to the touch ; general colour brown, with a rusty tinge, produced by each hair being of 
a rusty-brown in the middle ; upper surface and sides of the body freely pencilled with black and white ; on 
the back of the neck, shoulders and outer side of the arms a bright rusty-red hue prevails, and the same hue 
is observable on the hinder part of the back, outer side of the hind legs (especially near the knee) and sides 
of the body, but is much paler ; chin, throat, and all the under parts of the body white ; tail clothed with 
very short, adpressed, grisly hairs, becoming longer and of a dirty-white on the under side of the apical half ; 
upper surface of the muzzle dusky, with a white line on each side ; ears black on the outside, and white 
internally ; a black mark commences near the occiput and proceeds backwards ; towards the tail it is 
broadest, most distinct on the middle of the back, and becomes obliterated as it approaches the tail ; on the 
haunch a transverse white mark ; hands and feet black. 
Male. Female. 
Length from the nose to the extremity of the tail . . . . 
„ of tail 
„ „ tarsus and toes, including the nail 
„ „ arm and hand, including the nails ...... 
„ „ face from the tip of the nose to the base of the ear 
„ „ ear 
feet. 
inches. 
feet. 
inches. 
4 
7 . 
. . 3 
10 
2 
1 . 
. . 1 
9 
8 
8i . 
5 . 
3 . 
n 
The figures in one of the Plates represent the entire animals, necessarily much reduced, and a head the 
size of life. 
