MACROPUS UNGUIFER, Gowda.

Nail-tailed Kangaroo.

Spec. Char.—MMacropus vellere perbrevi, et mediocritér molli: colore fulvo ; parte corporis antertore, et collo albescentibus ;
capite feré toto, nec non artubus abdomineque albis: nota fusca longitudinal, apud dorsum ; cauda albida, apicem
versus, pilis longis et fuscis indutd, ad apicem cum ungue nigrescente, fere magnitudinem et figuram ungus humani
exhibente, instructa.

Descr.—F ur 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 commences about the middle
of the back, runs backward over the rump, and extends to about four inches along the upper surface of the tail ;
arms and tarsi cream-white ; an indistinct yellowish white mark, curving upwards, crosses the thigh at the base ;
middle portion of the tail brownish, the tip being clothed with a long black tuft, in the centre of which is a
thinnish black nail half an inch in length and a quarter of an inch in breadth, convex above and concave beneath,
considerably resembling the nail of the human finger.

feet. inches.

Length from the nose to the extremity ofthe fal . ...-... 4
os Of taille) ee ee ee
3 ,, tarsus and toes, including the nail . 7+
ke », arm and hand, including the nails eae 5
ie ,, face from the tip of the nose to the base of the ear Ape
a Cale 24

Macropus unguifer, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p. 93.

 

Tuts very elegant little Kangaroo, of 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, who had obtained it on the
north-west 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 explorations.

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 m uch resembling that of the finger, situated at the extremity
of the tail, but which is not ordinarily observable, from its being 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 Macropus frenatus, but in
that species it is merely rudimentary.

I regret to add that nothing is at present known respecting its habits and economy.