19 
The attention of this society will also be directed to the rearing 
and domesticating the animals of the country, and to preserve 
them from destruction. Among the mammals we have the kangaroo 
of different genera, some of enormous size and others very diminu¬ 
tive, displaying a variety of colours — blue, red, grey, black, tawny, 
brown, mottled, &c. The native sloth, or koala, often called by 
by the colonists native bear (phascolarctus cinereus), the wombat 
(phascolomys wombat), the opossum (phalangista vulpina), the 
bandicoot (peramelcs nasuta), and others, all forming good food ; 
and although the flesh of the kangaroo is said to be dry, I have 
no doubt it could be improved by being fed on succulent grasses 
and other suitable food, and it must be acknowledged that 
kangaroo tail soup is not to be surpassed. Wombat is rarely to 
be met with, but when procured its flesh is always regarded as a 
great treat. The lively night animal, the bandicoot, is, when 
cooked, only to be compared to sucking-pig in flavour. The 
opossum is good also, especially when curried or stewed ; but 
the monitor lizard, or guana, if one could overcome the repugnance 
of its appearance, is delicate and excellent food. 
Among the birds we have numbers available for the table. 
The talegalla or brush turkey, is excellent, the legs being 
regarded as the epicure’s portion, and the eggs are delicious. 
The large bustard, the wonga wonga, and bronze-wing pigeons, 
variety of ducks, curlew, teal, redbills, the megapodius, and a 
number of others, form excellent articles of food for the table. 
Owen says, when comparing the Australian with the animals 
in other parts of the world, that the dasyuri, or native cats, 
play the part of the foxes and martens ; the peratmeles or bandi¬ 
coots, the hedgehogs and shrews ; the phalangers or flying 
squirrels, and the koalas or native bears, the squirrels and 
monkeys, the wombats of the beavers, and the kangaroos of the 
deer tribe. 
When acclimatising animals foreign to the soil, 1 have before 
mentioned that endeavours should, by domestication, be made 
to preserve the mammals and birds indigenous to Australia 
from extermination, as they will prove valuable to us not only 
for food and ornament, but also as a medium of exchange with 
other countries; for Australia is rich in zoolog}'. In the inter- 
tropical regions, we find, besides the eucalypti or gum trees, 
banhsice or honeysuckles, and other trees of the southern 
coasts, dense forests of canes, mangroves, &c . Each of these 
districts has a zoology peculiarly its own. For instance, 
the banksicc or honeysuckles, are everywhere tenanted by true 
