PETROGALE PENICILLATA, Gray.
Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby.

Spec. Char.—P. veller O°
Sp é P. vellere longo, subrigido ; saturate fusco purpureo ti
Eee fs 0 : : : . , reo tincto ; pr 2 } net
lateribus saturate vinoso-cinereis, hoc colore ab illo parti ; 0; prymno et caude basi ferrugineis ; humeris et
ee . LOUEC um superrcorum linea ri ae ye
; a pa “e et indis i Sey ned
gusta alba a gutture per medium pectus ducta ; auribus nigris, ad b pe Ge aa
ee ; : : nso Ss mors, ad basin cinerei ) Me.
D nia: : Rn 5 Sim CineErers 5 “achis pedi
pedibusque e ferrugineo ngris ; cauda nigra perlonga ad api ; i a
ef x perlonea ad apicem 08a
Descr.—¥ur long and r: . i ‘ ae
Scr. g and rather harsh ; general
sh; general colour dusky brown ting i
n tinged w ing 1
fe ee he eal fice dark eres ‘ i inged with purple, passing into deep rusty red on the
: ark -y; a dusky w > mark i
grey; a dusky white mark commences «
17° » anye « arr S : ee a a -
face to the ear; a narrow dark line runs from the middle of i es en
shoulders and flanks dark vinous grey, sepa : es | dle of the forehead nearly half way down the back ;
a ; : S grey, separated from the general ti i indi
PN coric crcimens coe general tint of the upper surface by an indistinct line
scarcely to be distinguished ; arrow white li ds fi
Wik chest: abdomen be 7 ee ; a narrow white line extends from the throat
a men brown, becoming more rufous towards the lower part of
black, passing to grey at the base, and with a disti | ( Ae ee
Pee itech rusty eer eas ) a distinct band of rufous along the outer edge; arms and hands
: ; sty black ; tail b ack, very long, and clothed with long hairs forming a bry |
some specimens are more red the S aT : ;
S in others. The two sexes w
S. sexes when ¢ ; are nearly of a size, imilar 1
ee adult are nearly of a size, and are similar in
yy
The entire length of the male figure i is fe
g f the male figured in the Plate is forty-three inches, but a female which lived for some time in

the menagerie of the Zoological Society measured forty-six inches

Male.
Ace ; ee : ‘ : feet. inches.
oth from the tip of the nose to the extremity of the tall 3 i
a Othe taille: 5 7s ee. 1 10
e ,, tarsus and toes, including the nail 6
_ .. arm and hand, including the nails . . . 54
r es L ‘ nas . er : 1 at a
a ,, face from the tip of the nose to the base of the ear AL
. ,, face 2
2

Macropus penicillatus, Gray in Griff. An. Kingd., vol. iii. pl. in p. 49.

Kangurus penicillatus, Griff. An. Kingd., vol. v. p. 204.

Petrogale pemeillatus, Gray in Mage. Nat. Hist., vol. 1. New Series, p. 083.

Heteropus albogularis, Jourd. Compte rendu des Séances de l’Acad. des Sci., Oct. 9, 1839, p. 522?

 

 

 

 

‘Tus species is the type of Mr. Gray’s genus Petrogale, a well-marked group, comprising several kinds of Kangaroos,
whose natural habits lead them to resort to rocky mountains, frequently those of the most steep and precipitous
character ; hence it 1s not surprising that so little has hitherto been known respecting this singular animal, since the in-
accessible nature of the localities it inhabits precludes all opportunity for observation.

have for a long time formed part of the collection of the Linnean Society :

Two specimens, apparently young females,
Australian continent where the species abounds wherever

they were received from New South Wales, a portion of the

the kind of country suitable to its habits occurs. The specime
Yarrundi on the Dartbrook, a tributary of the Hunter. I also as-

+ mountains situated to the eastward of the Liverpool Plains, and

ns in my own collection were procured on the Liverpool

range, and on the rocky sides of the mountains facing
certained that it is very abundant on Turi, and the othe
ra much greater extent of country than we
t discovered, and like many other of the sma
he mountains they inhabit. Their agility

it doubtless ranges ove are yet acquainted with. It is considerably larger
than any other species of the genus ye ller Kangaroos is strictly gregarious,
rs as to form well-beaten pa
ising, often alighting upon ledge
r tends greatly to their protection, as neither the wily aborigine,
When closely pursued, and during the heat

assembling m such numbe ths along the sides of t
in leaping from rock to rock is truly surpr s so slight and narrow that it appears almost
them to retain their footing : this powe
the Dingo, can follow them to their retreats.
among the rocks :

impossible for
nor their still greater enemy
of the day, they seek shelter in tl
selecting those with more

e crevices and caverns to the caverns they evince a great partiality,
usually, however, than a single outlet; a precaution rendered necessary by the frequent in-
ho also resorts to similar situations.

its habits, and during
ase of the mountains,
trunks of sloping trees, wearing a kind of

trusion of the Dingo, w

The Petrogale penicillata is strictly nocturnal in
ks for the grass beds on the crowns or b
slightest alarm. It also readily ascends the
d the tail is not made use of, but hangs down unemployed.

the night frequently leaves its well-beaten
tracks among the roc but never so far from its haunts as to
be unable to retreat again on the
while thus occupie

track or path in the bark :
nimal is most excellent.

As an article of food the flesh of this a