PETROGALE LATERALIS, Gould. 
Striped-sided Rock Wallaby. 
Petrogale lateralis, Gould, Mon. of Macropodidse, pi. 
Macropus QHeteropus') lateralis, Waterh. Nat. Hist, of Mamm., vol. i. p. 17‘2. 
Moo-roo-rong, Aborigines of the Perth and Toodyay districts of Western Australia. 
This conspicuously marked species is very abundant in all the rocky districts of Swan River, particularly 
the Toodyay, and I have little doubt that the whole of the line of coast of Western Australia will hereafter 
be found to be inhabited by it, wherever the character of the country is suitable. Independently of the 
difference in its markings and the more woolly texture of its fur, it is a much more diminutive animal than 
the P. penicillata the crania of the two animals also exhibit snffieient differences to satisfy the most 
sceptieal mind of their being speeifieally distinet ; in their disposition and economy, however, but little 
variation is found to exist. 
Mr. Gilbert states that “ the Petrogale lateralis is only to be met with in the roeky parts of the interior 
intersected with caverns. It is a remarkably shy and wary animal, feeding only at night in little open 
patehes of grass, and never, from all that I have been able to observe, going more than two or three hundred 
yards from its rocky retreats. When alarmed, it leaps most extraordinary distanees from roek to roek and 
point to point with the utmost rapidity. When running along a level surface, its tail is very much curved 
upwards like that of a greyhound, and the best way to procure specimens is to walk over the rocks without 
shoes, and station yourself within gunshot distance of the principal entrance to their eaverns, when, on making 
their appearance in the middle of the day for the purpose of sunning themselves, they are easily shot.” 
Fur shorter and mueh softer than that of P. penicillata ; general colour reddish-brown, passing Into 
silvery-grey on the neek and shoulders ; basal half of the tail brownish-grey, the remainder black, with a 
brush at the end ; faee greyish-brown ; a distinct white mark from the tip to the base of the ear ; a black 
mark between the ears, extending in a distinct narrow line half-way down the back ; ears dark brown, 
becoming of a light sandy colour at the base ; a deep rieh brown mark extends from behind the shoulders, 
down the hack of the arm, along the flanks and down the inside of the thigh ; this mark is separated from 
the general colour of the hack by a very distinet stripe of white; chin, throat, chest and abdomen sandy- 
red ; under sides of the neek grey ; arms light sandy-red, passing into black on the hands ; tarsi reddish 
brown, passing into blaekish-brown on the toes. 
Male. 
feet, inches. 
Length from the tip of the nose to the extremity of the tail ... 3 5 
„ of the tail 1 5 
„ „ tarsus and toes, including the nail 5^ 
„ ,, arms and hands, including the nails 4f 
„ „ face from the tip of the nose to the base of the ear . . 4 
„ „ ear . 
The first Plate represents the head of the size of life ; the second, reduced figures of the entire animal. 
