the species of kangaroos, namely, that each is limited by nature to* 
certain islands or certain portions of land, whilst no individuals- j 
extend beyond the particular limits of their species. 
Deprived of all means of attack or defence, the present species - 
of kangaroo, like all feeble folk, and particularly like the hares of ! 
our clime, are extremely wary and timid. The slightest noise alarms, 
them; the whistling of the wind is often sufficient to put them to 
flight. Consequently, in spite of their great number on Bernier I., 
hunting them was at first very difficult and precarious. In the im- 
penetrable scrub these animals could endure with impunity the at- 
tacks and activity of our hunters. When forced to leave one of these 
retreats, they left it by some unforeseen route, speedily made for 
some other neighbouring patch, where it was impossible to conceive 
how they entered and disappeared so readily in the impenetrable 
thicket; but we soon learnt that in each patch of scrub they had 
numerous little covered runs, which, from different points of the 
compass, converged to the centre, and which they could use as ; 
different outlets, according to the point from which they were men- 
aced. From that time their ruin was assured ; our hunters joined 
forces, and whilst some of them beat the bushes with long sticks, 
others stood at the outlets of the little runs, and the animals, de- 
ceived by their experience, did not fail to fall under the almost in- 
evitable blow. The flesh of this animal seemed to us, as to Dampier, 
very similar to that of the rabbit, but more tasty than that of the 
latter, which is perhaps due to the special nature of the plants on 
which it feeds almost all of which are aromatic. It is easily the best 
kangaroo flesh that we obtained, and on this account, the acquisition 
of this species would be a benefit to Europe. 
At the time when we were in this locality all the adult females 
carried in their pouch a fairly large young one, which they en- 
deavoured to save with a truly admirable courage; when wounded 
they fled carrying their young one in the pouch, and never aban- 
doned it unless when too worn out by fatigue or too enfeebled by* 
loss of blood they could not support it any longer. Then they 
stopped, resting on their hind legs and with their fore-feet helped 
it to leap out of the maternal sack, and endeavoured to show it a 
place of retreat in which it might hope to save itself; they then con- 
tinued their flight as quickly as their strength would allow; but if 
the hunter’s pursuit ceased, or only lessened, they were observed to 
return to the bush which protected their offspring; they called it 
with a kind of grunting which is peculiar to them ; caressed it affec- 
tionately as if to dissipate its alarm, made it once more enter the 
pouch, and sought with this precious burden, some new retreat 
where the hunter could not discover or attack them. The same proofs 
of intelligence and affection were exhibited in a still more touching" 
manner by these poor mothers when they felt themselves mortally 
wounded, all their care was for the safety of their offspring*; far 
