— rs os i . .
ee FS Sp — — .
= ————a aa ae!
weannnn as:

 

 

Rufous Jerboa Kangaroo.

Bettongia rufescens, G Rc Y> M ag. | ‘at. Hist. 1837 vol 1 : I cat
ra | g t Ss 9 ode p- 084. Gould, M . i i i 1
of VM amm. in Coll. B 2 E M S.. D. 9 on of Macropodide, pl. : Gray, List
\ h al. Oe [amm., vol. Xi. Mar yi i i
A a : ie i. : 96. ( supialia) p. 188. Tb. Nat. Hist. of
SS melanotis, Oo il DY in I roc. of Zool. Soc., part 1. Pp. ) z

Hiullmeriabe & Welton, Lip

 

a THERE ml be au little difficulty in distinguishing this species from every other member of the genus
y Bettongia yet discovered. It is the largest and most powerful of its tribe, and this remark applies parti-
rz] cularly to its strong hind feet and legs: the hair with which it is clothed is also more harsh and bristly than
oO that of its allies; again, the back part of the ears is nearly black, and the back and upper surface generally
Dh are strongly suffused with chestnut-brown, with which the stiff silvery-white interspersed hairs present ‘i
a strong contrast. The south-eastern portion of the continent ts its true habitat; and it is almost universally
by dispersed over New South Wales, both on the sea and interior side of the mountain ranges. I found it
ea very abundant on the stony sterile ridges bordering the grassy flats of the Upper Hunter, and in all similar
J situations. It constructs a warm nest in which it lies coiled up during the day, the nests being placed
a under the shelter of a fallen tree or some scrubby bush: it sometimes sits in a form like the Hare
cy Kangaroo, but never sits out on the open plains like that species: on being startled, it runs for a short
Za distance with remarkable rapidity ; but, from its invariably seeking shelter in the hollow logs, easily falls
Ga a prey to the natives, who hunt it for food. In size it fully equals that of a full-grown rabbit: its food
= consists of roots and grasses. There ‘s no material difference in the colouring of the sexes ; but in size
e the female is somewhat smaller than the male.

Fur harsh and wiry; general colour grizzled-grey and rufous, the latter hue predominating on the back ;
| ears black externally and buffy-white internally ; under surface greyish-white, slightly tinged with buff; tail
d with short wiry grizzled-grey hairs, becoming whiter towards the tip, where
whole length, dirty-white ; hands grey ;

strongly prehensile, covere
under side of the tail, throughout its

7 of, a, fe J.
CCl Mh

they are much lengthened ;
nails white ; tarsi and feet greyish.
The figures are about the size of life.

Slotttd und HC fetehter, a