MACROPUS LANIGER.

Great Red Kangaroo.

Spec. Char.—Mas. Macropus vellere brevi, molli, et quasi gossipino ; colore arenaceo-rufo ; capite humerisque cinereis, et
arenaceo-rufo leviter tinctis ; corpore subtius exalbescente arenaceo-cinereo 3 artubus caudaque albidis ; digitis nigris ;
rostri lateribus albis mgro variegatis.

Fam. Colore corporis superioris ceruleo-cinereo ; inferioris, et artuum albo ; Jaciei lateribus strigd alba distincté
notatis.

Descr—Maxre. General colour sandy red slightly tinged with orange, especially on the flanks and rump; neck, back
and shoulders washed with ashy grey; the same tint, but somewhat paler, is also observable on the outer side of
the thigh; head deep ashy grey, tinged in parts with sandy red; sides of the muzzle as far as the angle of the
mouth and the chin pure white ; intermingled with the white of the muzzle are some bristly black hairs, forming
two interrupted black lines; ears grey on the exterior, with a few black hairs near the tip, and white on the
interior ; throat, chest and all the under surface tawny white tinged with grey; arms and legs tawny white ;
hands and toes blackish brown ; tail tawny white tinged with grey.

Fremate. General tint rather paler; the sandy red on the sides of the body less distinct ; head and shoulders of
a paler grey, and as well as the haunches tinged vinous: differs also from the male in having a distinct broad
white mark extending from the angle of the mouth backwards under the eye, and in having the under parts of
the body and limbs pure white.

Young. The upper parts of the body of nearly a uniform pale slate-grey.

Male. Female.
feet. inches. feet. inches.
Length from the nose to the extremity ofthetail . ...... 8 a
- OF tam. ct a ee eg One 2 91
iy) », tarsus and toes, including the nail . 1 g 1 0
es », arm and hand, including the nails he ses 1 6... 1 0
pS », face from the tip of the nose to the base of the ear 8 8
55 Sealy ot. 41

Kangurus rufus, Desm. Mamm. Suppl. p. 541.
Kangurus laniger, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de l'Uranie, p. 65, pl. 9.

 

Tuts noble species of Kangaroo, the largest and one of the most elegant of its race yet discovered, has hitherto been so
little known, that, with the exception of my own specimens, a single skin, and that in the most imperfect condition, is
all that has ever reached Europe. The specimen referred to is the original of the figure and description in the zoology
of the “ Voyage de lUranie” as quoted above. The specific term of laniger appeared so inapplicable to my specimens,
as, together with the inaccuracy of the plate and description, to induce me to question their identity ; and in order to
clear up this doubt satisfactorily I visited the Parisian museum and examined the original, when I found, to my great
astonishment, that the deficiencies of natural hair on many parts of the skin had been replaced by finely cut sheep’s wool,
whereby the appellation of Woolly Kangaroo was rendered more correct than I had anticipated: it would have been
better for science had this circumstance been stated. The sides and upper surface of the body of those I brought
to Europe are the only parts of the animal that have any tendency to the woolly character, and the hair on these parts
entirely wants that crispness mentioned by Messrs. Quoy and Gaimard. The specimen in the museum of the Jardin
des Plantes was presented to the officers of the expedition by Fraser the botanist, during their stay at Sydney, and was
said to be from Port Macquarrie ; but I am led to believe that some mistake must have arisen on this point, and that the
Macquarrie river was the locality intended, since it is an animal entirely confined to the interior.

Two of my specimens were obtained in South Australia, and the others on the plains bordering the Namoy; from
the works of Oxley and Sturt we find that it frequents the banks of the Morumbidgee and Darling ; we may conse-
quently infer that it is very generally dispersed over the great basin of the interior of Australia, as it certainly is over
the eastern portions of that continent. I regret that these authors should have given such slight notices of this inter-
esting animal, which they must have frequently encountered in their expeditions. Capt. Sturt merely states, that while
encamped on the Morumbidgee “ we saw several red kangaroos, and succeeded in killing one. It certainly is a beautiful
animal, ranging the wilds in its native freedom. The female and kid are of a light mouse-colour.” Having, like Capt.
Sturt, had the pleasure of seeing this species in its native wilds, I fully concur in his opinion as to its beauty ; it is, in
fact, the finest of the Australian Mammalia: and the female is particularly attractive, from her graceful, slender, and
elegant form, and from the snowy whiteness of her legs and under surface contrasted with the blue-grey tint of her
sides and back. The male, especially when adult, has the red and white more blended into each other ; the blue-grey
which distinguishes the female, being rarely if ever perceptible ; hence has arisen the trivial names of red buck and blue
doe for the two sexes respectively: the female is also called the flying doe, from her extreme fleetness, for which her
whole structure is so admirably adapted, that I have little hesitation in saying, that under favourable circumstances she
would outstrip the fastest dogs : occasionally, however, both sexes are run successfully, either from the chase being over
soft mouldy soil, or from the female being encumbered by a large and heavy young one, which she has not been able to