quadrupeds. 
the Rodentia, and between the Duck-bill and 
Ant-eater, and the Edentata. 
The largest and most attractive, as well as most valua 
animals of this Class, are the Kangaroos (Macropus). Every 
child is familiar with its elegant taper figure, its gentle 
deer-like face, its short fore-feet dangling at its breast as it 
stands erect on its long and powerful hind limbs and its 
immense tail. There are few, moreover, who have not read 
of its singular mode of progression, by vast leaps, through 
the Australian scrubs. Its flesh is excellent venison, and 
the European settlers hunt it with hound and horse. Mr 
Greo-son describes in a graphic manner a fine run o 
eighteen miles, performed by an old boomer, as the Great 
Kangaroo is called, andadds the following more generalnotes 
of its habits, with which we dismiss the Marsupialia;— 
“ Wo did not measure the distance of the hop of the 
Kangaroo ; but on another occasion, in which the boomer 
had taken along the beach, and left the prints in the sand, 
the length of each jump was found to be fifteeu feet, and 
as regular as if they bad been stepped by a sergeant. 
When a boomer is pressed, he is very apt to take to the 
water, and then it requires several good dogs to kill him; 
for he stands waiting for them, and as they swim up to the 
attack, he takes hold of them with his fore-feet, and holds 
them under water. The buck is very bold, and will gene- 
rally make a stout resistance; for if he cannot get to tie 
water, be will place his back against a tree so that ic can- 
not be attacked from behind, and then the best dog will 
find him a formidable antagonist. The doe, on t le con- 
trary, is a very timid creature, and I have even seen one 
die of fear.” * 
* Gould’s "Manim, of Austr.' 
