248 
PHASCOLOMVID,*;. 
creature remained implacable all the way to the boat, ceasing 
to kick only when he was exhausted.” 
Specimens of the Wombat which have been brought to 
England have generally evinced a gentle disposition. The 
specimen dissected by Sir Everard Home, and which was 
brought from one of the islands in Bass’ Straits, by Mr. 
Brown, the eminent botanist attached to Flinders Voyage, 
lived as a domestic pet in the house of Mr. Clift for two years. 
This animal was a male, measured 2 feet 2 inches in length, 
and weighed about 20 lbs. The observations made by Sir 
Everard Home on the habits of this animal whilst in confine¬ 
ment, correspond pretty closely with those already given. 
“It burrowed in the ground/' that author observes, “ when¬ 
ever it hud an opportunity, and covered itself in the earth 
with surprising quickness ; it was very quiet during the dav. 
but constantly in motion in the night: was very sensible to 
cold ; ate all kinds of vegetables, but w as particularly fond of 
new’ hay, which it ate stalk by stalk, taking it into its mouth 
like a beaver, by small bits at a time. It was not wonting in 
intelligence, and appeared attached to those to whom it was 
accustomed, and who were kind to it. When it saw them, it 
would put up its fore paws on their knees, and when taken up 
would sleep in the lap. It allowed children to pull and earn’ 
it about, and when it bit them, it did not appear to do it in 
anger, or with violence/’ 1 
A female Wombat which lived in the Zoological Society 
upwards of live years, and an account of the anatomy of 
which is published by Professor Owen, 2 weighed 50llbs. The 
fur of the Wombat is tolerably long and very coarse; its genend 
hue is grey-brown : next the skin the hairs on the upper 
parts of the body are of a dusky brown colour; and each 
1 Philosophical Transactions for 1808, p. 304. 
3 Proceedings of the Zoological Society for May, 1836, Part 4, p. 49. 
