SS aE

HALMATURUS STIGMATICUS, Goud
Branded Wallaby.

Halmaturus stigmaticus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Nov. 13, 1860.

 

A sineLe and very fine specimen of this new Aadnaturus was obtained by Mr. John Macgillivray at Point
Cooper, on the north-east coast of Australia, in the month of June 1 1848 ; this specimen is now deposited in
the British Museum collection. I cannot refer this animal to any ea species, but I observe that
it is very nearly allied to the Halmaturus Thetidis. Now it is well known that this latter animal is strictly
an inhabitant of the humid brushes of the south-eastern coast, and that it never leaves them for either the
drier hills or the adjacent plains; and the present species may be regarded as its representative on the
north-eastern coast, which is, I believe, clothed with brushes of a similar character.

The Halmaturus Thetidis and the H. stigmaticus are very similar in the smallness of their heads, the
comparative shortness of their ears, and their adpressed, short stiff fur; but the latter differs from the former
in being of a somewhat larger size and in the more rufous colouring of its fur (particularly of that clothing
the legs), and in having a broad brand-like mark of buff on each haunch; similar marks, it is true, exist in
some other species of Kangaroo, but in none of them is it so conspicuous as in the animal under con-
sideration ; hence the specific name I have assigned to it.

In the ‘Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake,’ vol. i. p. 92, Mr. Macgillivray says :—‘‘ Near this place, while
tacking in-shore, a native dog was seen by Lieut. Simpson in chase of a small Kangaroo, which, on being
close pressed, plunged into the water and swam out to sea, when it was picked up by the boat, leaving its
pursuer standing on a rock, gazing wistfully at its intended prey, until a musket-ball, which went very near
its mark, sent it off at a trot. ‘The Kangaroo lived on board for a few days, and proved to constitute quite
a new kind, closely allied to Halmaturus Thetidis.”

Face, sides of the body, outer side of the fore limbs, and the flanks rufous, more or less interspersed with
whitish, the tips of the hairs being of that hue, and their middle portion rufous ; outer side of the hinder limbs
rich rusty red; occiput dark brown, interspersed with silvery-tipped hairs; ears clothed with long black
hairs externally, and narrowly fringed with white on the front edge ; all the upper surface of the body blackish
brown, interspersed with numerous whitish-tipped hairs, gradually blending with the rufous hue of the sides
and flanks; down the back of the neck an indistinct line of a darker or blackish hue ; across each haunch a
broad and conspicuous mark of buff; upper lip, chin, all the under surface of the body, and the inner side
of the limbs dirty white ; hands and feet dark brown ; upper surface of the tail dark brown; on the sides
the hairs are less numerous, and the scaly character of the skin becomes conspicuous.

feet. inches.

Length from the tip of the nose to the extremity of the tail’ =. 7 eee 4
» Of idne tall . « : ee 4

» Of tarsus and toes, eeaae ‘ne sect es

5 of arm and hand, including the nails 64

, of face from the tip of the nose to the base of nee ear 48

1g

» Oar

The accompanying Plates represent the head of the natural size, and a reduced figure of the entire animal.

eee . ore