3 
a female, on being bard run with dogs, will fre- 
quently lighten her load by throwing out the 
young when they are one-third grown. 
The old man kangaroo, as the male grey species 
is called, will sometimes run to a waterhole when 
pressed by the hounds, and there make a good 
fight, standing in about three or four feet of 
water, catching the dogs as they swim to him, and 
holding them under the water until they are glad 
to get away. When brought to bay they some- 
times inflict very severe wounds on the dogs, and 
will at such times, if incautiously approached 
by man, seize the intruder and use him very 
roughly, throwing him down and stamping on 
him. In such cases it is best to lie perfectly 
still, as the dogs will draw his attention in some 
other direction. The largest species known at 
present is the “ red kangaroo,” or “ soldier” of 
the interior ; the female is of a leaden colour, and 
is known as tile “ blue flier.” These are found 
on the borders of the plains amongst the small 
forests of myall and salt bush. They are very 
fast, and an ordinary kangaroo dog w f ould have 
b ut little chance of catching one. Another large 
species, the black wallaroo, is found in high 
broken ranges, and on being disturbed, takes the 
most inaccessible places, and when followed by 
dog9, will not unfrequently beat them off. It is 
very fierce, strong, active, and danger- 
ous to attack in its rocky home, without 
sure weapons. I have seen one throw a 
large and powerful kangaroo dog down a ravine 
of some thirty feet. Gould in his work on the 
macropodidae, describes a large red wallaroo found 
on the Coburg peninsula as being very fierce 
and bold. These four species appear to comprise 
all the large and dangerous members of the 
family, the remaining species being very much 
smaller and easily killed, when caught. Some of 
them are found in high rocky hills, but mostly 
in scrubs and thickly timbered country. Some 
of the smaller species make nests of dried grass, 
where they secrete themselves during the day ; 
amongst these latter ones there is the jerboa kan* 
| garoo described in Gould’s work as bettongia 
peuicillata. This interesting little animal is found 
| on the Lower Namoi, and like other members of 
the genus, constructs a thick grassy nest in such 
| a manner that it is difficult for a common ob- 
server to detect. The most curious part of their 
history, is the very peculiar manner in which they 
convey the grass to the spot selected for their 
nest ; the tail, which is prehensile, is (as you will 
see by the drawing I lay before you this evening) 
curled round small heaps of grass collected to- 
gether, and with its load the creature leaps home- 
wards, carrying the grass hooped and secured by 
the tail, which is curved underneath. 
Before closing this paper I will introduce to 
your notice the remaining genera of the marsu* 
pialia in their separate families. The family which 
stands nearest to the American opossum is the 
“ Dasyuridee” comprising three genera “Thyla- 
cinus,” “ Dasyurus” and “ Phascogale” all of 
these are carnivorous ; the first is confined, I 
believe, to Van Diemen’s Land of which there are 
but two species and they are very rare. Some 
years ago, in the early days of the colony, these 
animals were destructive amongst the sheep and 
lambs, but are now rarely seen away from the 
rocky uninhabited parts of the island. The 
second is common in all the known parts of Aus- 
tralia, and is comprised of some four or five 
species, two of which are well known as being 
Very destructive amongst poultry and called native 
cats ; one of these is brown with white spots, and 
the other black with white spots. The remaining 
genus Phascogale is represented by the animal 
known best as the brush-tailed rat ; this is also 
well known in our poultry yards. The family 
Phalangistidse is the next, and is composed of 
three genera, Phalangista, Petaurus, and Phas- 
colarctus — the first comprises the opossums : 
this genus numbers some twelve or fourteen 
species ; many of them are known to us by their 
skins, particularly a species of Van Diemen’s 
Land, which produces a Very handsome and 
Valuable fur. The second genus also comprises 
some twelve or more species, some of which are 
really very beautiful, and the skins when manu- 
factured produce a fur almost as soft and fine as 
the famed chinchilla oF South America. Some 
of this genus are very small, and very little exceed 
the common mouse in size. The last genus 
in this family is the phascolarctus or 
kola. The phalangistidse are herbivorous, 
and of nocturnal habits, feeding at night 
on the leaves and young shoots of the euca- 
lyptus and other trees, keeping during the day in 
holes in trees. The next family is represented bv 
a single genus and a single species phascolomys 
Or wombat. This animal is also nocturnal, and 
feeds at night on roots, herbs, and grass. It 
retire s during the day to deep holes in rocks, or 
burrows made in loose sand. These burrows ex- 
tend many yards. It is no easy matter to unearth 
these creatures, and the only method I am ac- 
quainted with is to dig them out ; but the labour 
and time expended in so doing is so great that 
the wombat is seldom procured. The flesh is 
Very good, and would be, I believe, much esteeme: ! 
if it could be obtained by reasonable labour. The 
wombat has a peculiar manner of defending itself, 
which is particularly effective when attacked in 
one of the rocky holes they are frequently found 
in j as soon as he is alarmed, he hastens to the 
