106 
MAMMALIA. 
canines are wanting, and the middle incisors do not project beyond the others. The unequal size of 
the limbs is even more remarkable, so that they advance on all fours with difficulty and slowly, hut 
make immense leaps on their hind-feet, the great nail of which (almost in the shape of a hoof) serves 
them likevdse for defence, as, by supporting themselves on one foot and their enormous tail, they can 
inflict a severe blow with that which is at liberty.* They are very gentle, herbivorous animals, their 
grinders presenting only transverse ridges : they possess five in all, of which the anterior are 
more or less trenchant, and fall with age, so that older individuals have often only three. Their 
stomach is formed of two elongated sacs, that are inflated at several places like a colon : the coecum 
also is large and inflated. The radius allows a complete rotation of the fore-arm. 
The penis in these two genera is not bifurcated ; but the female organs are similar to those of other 
Marsupiata. 
The Great Kangaroo {M. major, Shaw).— Sometimes 
six feet in height, being the largest animal of New Hol- 
land. It was discovered by Cook in 1779, and is now 
bred in Europe. The flesh is said to resemble venison. 
The young ones, which are only an inch long at birth, 
remain in the maternal pouch even when they are old 
enough to graze, which they efiect by stretching out the 
neck from their domicile, when the mother herself is 
feeding. These animals live in troops, conducted by the 
old males.f They make enormous leaps. [Numerous 
other species are now known, which have even been ar- 
ranged into subgenera : these, however, are not gene- 
rally adopted. They degrade in size to smaller than a 
Hare.] 
The fifth subdivision has two long incisors 
in the lower jaw, but no canines ; in the upper 
two long middle incisors, with some small ones 
Fig. 43. Great Kangaroo. [four iu numbcr] placed laterally, and two 
small canines. It comprehends but one genus. 
The Koala {Koala, Cuv. ; Lipurus, Goldf. ; Phascolarctos%, Blainv.), — 
Which presents a short, stout body, and short legs, without any [or rather with a short] tail : their ante- 
rior toes, five in number, separate into two groups 
for prehension, the thumb and index antagonizing 
with the other three. On the hind-feet there is 
no thumb ; and the first two toes are united as in 
the Phalangers and Kangaroos. [There are five 
molars in each jaw, square, with four tubercles each, 
excepting the first. This animal is essentially a 
Phalanger with a short tail.] 
One only is known {Lip. drier eus, Goldfuss.) — Of a 
greyish colour, which passes its life partly upon trees, 
and partly in burrows which it excavates at their foot 
(fig. 44.) 
The female carries her young for a long time 
on her back 
Finally, our sixth division of the Marsupial 
animals, consisting of 
Fig. 44.— Koala. 
The Wombat {Phascalomys, Geof. ; \_Amhlotis, Bass] ), — 
Comprehends a true Rodent according to the teeth and intestines, which preserves its relationship with 
the Carnaria only in the mode of articulation of its lower jaw ; and which, in a rigorous system, it 
• A Kangaroo will hug a Dog with its fore-paws, while it kicks and 
rips up the belly with its hind-foot. — E d. 
+ It appears rather that the animals of this genus are not strictly 
gregarious, but collect accidentally at the scattered feeding- places. 
They lodge during the day among high ferns, and feed chiefly by 
night, or in the evening and morning ; but are very sharp-sighted 
during tlie day. — E d, 
t This term is generally adopted. — Ed, 
