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THE KANGAROO. 
Aiosg tlie largest of the Macropidse is the celebrated Kangaroo, an animal which is 
found spread tolerably widely over its native land. 
This species has also been called by the name of giganteus , on account of its very great 
size, which, however, is sometimes exceeded by the woolly Kangaroo. The average dimensions 
of an adult male are generally as follows : the total length of the animal is about seven feet 
six inches, counting from the nose to the tip of the tail ; the head and body exceed four feet, 
and the tail is rather more than three feet in length ; the circumference of the tail at its base is 
about a foot. When it sits erect after its curious tripedal fashion, supported by its hind- 
quarters and tail, its height is rather more than fifty inches ; but when it wishes to survey the 
country, and stands erect upon its toes, it surpasses in height many a well-grown man. The 
female is very much smaller than her mate, being under six feet in total length, and the 
difference in size is so great that the two sexes might well be taken for different species. 
The weight of a full-grown male, or “boomer,” as it is more familiarly called, is very 
considerable, one hundred and sixty pounds having often been attained, and even greater 
weight being on record. The color of the animal is brown, mingled with gray, the gray 
predominating on the under portions of the body and the under-faces of the limbs. The fore- 
feet are black, as is also the tip of the tail. 
Without being truly gregarious, the Kangaroo is seldom seen entirely alone, but in 
scattered groups of seven or eight in number, and even the members of these little bands are 
not closely united, but are seen singly disposed at some distance from each other. There 
are certainly instances on record where very large numbers of Kangaroos have been seen in 
true flocks, herding closely together, and being under the superintendence of one leader. 
These animals, however, belong to another species. 
As the Kangaroo is a valuable animal, not only for the sake of its skin, but on account of 
its flesh, which is in some estimation among the human inhabitants of the same land, it is 
eagerly sought after by hunters, both white and black, and affords good sport to both on 
account of its speed, its vigor, and its wariness. The native hunter, who trusts chiefly to his 
own cunning and address for stealing unobserved upon the animal and lodging a spear in its 
body before it is able to elude its subtle enemy, finds the Kangaroo an animal which will test 
all his powers before he can attain his object, and lay the Kangaroo dead upon the ground. 
There is also another but not so sportsman-like a method of killing the Kangaroo, which 
is often in use among the aborigines, and which partakes of the nature of a bear ‘ ‘ skal 
in Norway. 
A number of armed men associate themselves together, and, having laid deep counsel 
about the plan of the hunt, proceed cautiously forward until they come upon a number of 
Kangaroos. They then silently arrange themselves so as to surround the unconscious animals 
which are feeding carelessly in the plain. At a preconcerted signal a portion of the hunters 
issue from their concealment and shower their deadly missiles upon the Kangaroos. The poor 
alarmed creatures flee from the danger, and are met by another party of the same band, who 
also ply their spears and clubs with deadly effect. Backwards and forwards run the bewil- 
dered animals, assailed on all sides by sharp and heavy missiles hurled by the strong arm and 
directed by the keen eye of the native hunters ; and so well are the plans laid, and with such , 
accurate aim are the deadly weapons thrown, that it seldom happens that a single Kangaroo 
escapes from the scene of massacre. 
A time of feasting then follows, for these wild children of nature have no conception of 
thrift, and would think themselves very hardly used were they not allowed to eat every parti- 
cle of food which they could obtain, even though they would be forced to endure the pangs of 
hunger for many a day afterwards. The quantity of meat that a native Australian will eat at 
a single meal, and the gallons of water that he will drink, are so astounding as almost to sur- 
pass belief. 
Besides these modes of hunting, the native makes use of pitfalls, snares, nets, and other 
devices, by means of which he contrives to entrap the animal without putting himself to the 
trouble of hunting it. 
The white hunters, however, go to work in a very different manner, looking more to the 
