
INTRODUCTION, vil. 
covery of another species of the genus Dendrolagus, which he 
designated bennettianus. Such is the reservation with which 
confréres in science receive fresh announcements that Mr. Ogilby, of 
Sydney, in his Catalogue of Australian Mammals, 1892, observed : 
‘There is not at present sufficient evidence to justify the retention 
of Mr. De Vis’ two supposed species D. bennettianus and D. rufus 
as distinct from Collett’s animal.” If not then, there was proof of 
the existence of the former before the close of the following year, for 
Adelaide received two living specimens and Melbourne four. 
Bennett's tree-kangaroo turned out to be a new species of a very 
marked character, and quite a surprise to scientific men—that within 
ten years two fairly-s zed mammals had been submitted to zoologists, 
which had previously been known only to the wild blackfellow. Is 
it not remarkable that the first species of kangaroo was discovered 
at Endeavour River, and that the last concealed itself more than a 
century later, though only a degree south of this locality 2. Through 
the courtesy of the Curator of the sydney Museum, access was 
allowed to the latest information on Bennett's tree-kangaroo. Its 
external characters are :—‘‘ Fur on the back directed backwards, 
body brown, neck rufus, tail black ventrally, lighter dorsally.” 
Tree-kangaroos are located at the Zoological Gardens, Melbourne, 
in large enclosures, securely hemmed in by wirework; boxes are 
fixed in the trees for the seclusion of the captives. Being difficult 
to keep alive on account of the absence of their native food, lettuces 
and birds’ nest ferns were found suitable. In September, 1894, 
another contingent shipped at Cooktown was despatched to Mel- 
bourne inthe steamer Wodonga. The Sydney Morning Herald says : 
‘‘Whilst on board one of the smaller specimens escaped and immedi- 
ately jumped into the rigging, up which it went with amazing 
speed, and seemed Berane in its element when in the vicinity 
of the masthead. This clearly demonstrates that the climbing 
power of these animals, which was formerly looked upon as 
mythical, is founded on fact.” Are not the tree-kangaroo and the 
cassowary emblematic of Queensland just as the black swan is of 
Western Australia? In 1883 a Cambridge student came to Sydney, 
having proceeded to the northern colony, he found eggs in the 
pouch of the echidna, and concluded that the platypus also lays 
eggs. When the north-west of Australia shall have been fully ex- 
Barat what strange forms may it not yield? Itis a vast tract 
nearly isolated by the ocean and the desert, which hem in animal 
life. Italians ransacked New Guinea for fresh species, and assisted 
in proving the close relationship of its fauna with that of the conti- 
nent. No less than 143 species of birds are common to 
the Australian and the south-east coast of New Guinea. In all 
probability foreigners will be the pioneers of science in the north- 
west of the continent. Lumholtz left Australia having no doubt 
about the existence of a marsupial tiger which has yet to be found ; 
it is stated in northern Queensland that a sort of *‘ tiger” has been 
seen and its footprints noted, and that it is the natural enemy of 
the tree-kangaroo, 
