Nail-tailed Kangaroo.

Macropus unguifer, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soe., part viii,

p. 93.—Ib. Mon. of Macrovod; ao
of Spec. of Mamm. in Coll. Brit. Mus. Be gee en —Gray, List

» p. 88.—Waterh. Nat. Hist. of Mamm., vol. i. aoe

Tus very elegant little Kangaroo, a which I have only seen a single example, was liberally placed in my
hands, for the purpose of being described and figured, by Mr. Bynoe, of Her Majesty’s Ship the Beagle, whio
had obtained it on the oes coast during the present expedition of that vessel, whose captains and
other officers, not only in this, but in her former voyage, have so largely extended our knowledge of the
zoological productions of the little-known countries they have visited in the course of their explore

This animal peculiarly attracts our attention by the circumstance of its possessing a character not found
in any other known member of its family, namely, a broad flattened nail much FeccMpline that of the finger,
situated at the extremity of the tail, but which is not ordinarily observable, from its fene hidden in the ‘tuft
of long black hairs clothing the apical portion of that organ. It is true that a somewhat similar character
exists in the Onychogalea frenata, but in that species it is merely rudimentary.

The foregoing remarks were published in my Monograph of the KXangaroos, and although nearly twenty
years have since elapsed, no additional information has been obtained, nor has any other specimen than the
original one in the British Museum been procured ; it consequently still remains unique. It may be as well,
however, to add Mr. Waterhouse’s opinion respecting this animal, since it tends to establish a species
dependent upon the skin of a single specimen; though no doubt could, I should suppose, be entertained by
any one on this point, since the extreme elegance of the animal, both in shape and colour, and its lengthened
tail terminated with an extraordinary-shaped nail, serve to distinguish it from every other known species.

“The mufile in O. unguifer,” says Mr. Waterhouse, ‘is covered with hair, with the exception of a very
narrow margin next the nostril-openings: the foremost of the three incisor teeth on either side of the upper
jaw is distinctly the broadest, the other two are very nearly equal in width; the hindermost has a strong
oblique external fold ; these teeth are small compared with the incisors of most Kangaroos. A canine tooth
is present, but it is very small. The tarsi are very long and slender; the ends of the nails of the double inner
toe terminate 2+ inches short of the end of the nail of the great central toe, and the tip of the nail of the
outer toe is 14 inch short of the same point; the nails of the two larger toes are long, narrow, and much
compressed above. The nails of the finger are rather short and broad.”

Fur very short and moderately soft ; general colour buffy yellow, extending on to the outer side of the
legs and the base of the tail, and gradually passing into the all but pure white of the head, ears, legs and
under surface ; on each side of the body just before the knee a pale rusty patch; a brownish mark com-
runs backward over the rump, and extends to about four inches along
and tarsi cream-white ; an indistinct yellowish-white mark, curving
portion of the tail brownish, the tip being clothed with a
ail half an inch in length and a quarter of an
bling the nail of the human finger.

mences about the middle of the back,
the upper surface of the tail; arms
upwards, crosses the thigh at the base; middle
long black tuft, in the centre of which is a thinnish black no
inch in breadth, convex above and concave beneath, considerably resem

feet. inches.

4
Length from the nose to the extremity of the tail : :
Meer otal th oe ey :
, 3, tarsus and toes, including the es :
, », arm and hand, including the Walls. eee :
> oe
e n0se he base of the ear z
» 9» face from the tip of the nose to the ba -

ear

33 99
en Ot body, and two views of the

One of the accompanying Plates represents the head and fore part of the eae oe

: pase ed figures of the entire animal.

: : : : ; sy Plate, reduc
extremity of the tail, all of the natural size ; the other Plate, re