444 
GREAT KANGUROO. 
The fore legs short, and the hinder ones very long ; 
and in the female an abdominal pouch containing 
the teats. 
Great kanguroo. 
This singular quadruped, which was first dis- 
covered in New Holland, in the year 1770, by 
Captain Cook, has frequently been seen nearly nine 
feet in length from the tip of the nose to the end of 
the tail ; some of the species have been found to 
weigh a hundred and fifty pounds, and this is gene- 
rally believed to be by no means the largest size 
they will arrive at. The greatest circumference of 
the animal is round the bottom of the belly and 
hips ; being very small about the head ami neck, 
and increasing gradually downwards. The fore 
legs of the largest are about nineteen inches in 
length ; the hinder ones three feet seven inches. 
The hind legs, which arc perfectly bare and callous 
beneath, are very strong ; and when sitting, the 
animal rests on the whole of their length, its 
rump being elevated several inches from the ground. 
The claws are only three in number, the middle one 
exceeding the others greatly in length and strength ; 
but the inner one is of a peculiar structure ; at 
first sight appearing single, though on farther 
inspection it is seen to be really divided down the 
middle, and even through the ball of the toe be- 
longing to it, appearing as if separated by a sharp 
instrument. 
From the make of the animal, there can be little 
doubt that its principal progressive motion must 
be (notwithstanding the remark of M, Labillar- 
diere) by leaps ; in these exertions it has been 
seen to exceed twenty feet at a time, and this so often 
repeated as almost to elude the swiftness of the 
