MACROPUS LANIGER.
Great Red Kangaroo.
Spec. Char.— M a s . Macropus veliere brevi, molli, et quasi gossipino ; colore arenaceo^rufo s capite humerisque cinereis, et
arenaceo-rufo leviter tinctis ; co'rp'ore subtùs exalbescente arenaceo-cinereo ; artubus caudàque a lb id isd ig itis nigris •
rostri lateribus albis nigro variegatis.
F<em. Colore corporis superiori:s cxruleo-cinereo ,• inferioris, et artrnrn albo ; fa ciei lateribus strigi, alba distinctè
notàtis.
Descr. M a l e . General colour sandy red slightly tinged with orange, especially on the flanks and nimp ; neck, back
and shoulders washed with ashy grey ; the same tint, but somewhat paler, is also observable on the outer side of
thè thigh ; head deep ashy grey, tinged in parts with sandy red; sides o f the muzzle as far as the angle o f the
, mouth and the chin pure white ; intermingled with the white o f 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.
F e m a l e . General tint rather paler ; the sandy red on the sides o f 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.
Y o u n g . The upper parts o f the body o f nearly a uniform pale slate-grey.
Male. Female.
t ,1/1 , . feet, inches. feet, inched. Length from the nose to the extremity of the t a i l .....................................8 2 . . . 7 o
o fta il • • ......................................................................................... 3 0 . . . 2 9±
„ „ tarsus and toes, including the nail ................................\ 2 . . . 1 o
„ ,, arm and hand, including the n a ils ................................................i go. j 0
„ ,, face from the tip of the nose to the base of the ear . . . 8 8
,, „ ear . . ................................................................................. | j | . . 4^.
Kangurus rufus, Desm. Mamm. Suppl. p. 541.
Kangurus hunger, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de l’Uranie, p. 65, pi. 9.
T his noble species o f Kangaroo, the largest and one o f the most elegant o f its race yet discovered, has hitherto been so
httle known, that, with the exception o f 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 o f the figure and description in the zoology
o e “ Voyage de l’Uranie ” as quoted above. The specific term of laniger appeared so inapplicable to my specimens,
as, together with the inaccuracy o f 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 o f natural hair on many parts o f the skin had been replaced by finely cut sheep’s wool
whereby the appellation o f 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 o f the body o f those I brought
to Europe are the only parts o f 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 o f the Jardin
^ . l rCSented *° the ° ffiCerS ° f the raPedition H Frascr 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
acquarne river was the locality intended, since it is an animal entirely confined to the interior.
Two o f my specimens were obtained in South Australia, and the others on the plains bordering the Namoi- from
™ rks ° ‘ ' f k y and Sturt we find that it frequents the banks o f the Morumbidgee and Darling; we may conse-
quently infer that it is very generally dispersed over the great basin o f the interior o f Australia, as it certainly is over
the eastern portions o f that continent. I regret that these authors should have given such slight notices o f this inter-
es mg 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
aiurnal, ranging the wilds ... its native freedom. The female and kid are o f a light monse-eolour.” Having, like Capt.
f * *i ^ ^ C ^ f aS”rC see*n£ | a | sPec*es *n its native wilds, I fully concur in his opinion as to its beauty • it is in
act, the finest o f die Australian Mammalia: and the female is particularly attractive, from her graceful, slender ¡nd
e egan orm, and from the snowy whiteness o f her legs and under surface contrasted with the blue-grey tint o f her
s. es mid back The male, especially when adult, has the red and white more blended into each other; the blue-grey
w ich distinguishes the female, being rarely if ever perceptible ; hence has arisen the trivial names of red buck and blue
doe tor the two^sexes respectively: the female is also called the flying doe, from her extreme fleetiiess, for which her
who e structure is so admirably adapted, that I have little hesitation in saying, that under favourable circumstances she
ou strip 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