Page:Mammals of Australia (Gould), introduction.djvu/53

 regular season for breeding, for all the females had young ones in the pouch, of very small size and quite naked; and none were seen or killed less than a year old, at which age their weight is about 5 lbs.

"The Halmaturus Houtmanni inhabits the dense scrub growing on almost every part of the two islands above mentioned; and its runs cross and recross almost every inch of them—even the sandy beaches close to the water's edge, and among the thick scrub and Mutton-bird holes; in these runs there are little sheltered spots, beneath which they lie during the heat of the midday sun, feeding for the most part during the night. On the approach of man it does not bound off at full speed as other Kangaroos do, but very leisurely takes two or three leaps, and then remaining stationary in an erect position, looks around with evident surprise, and is then easily shot. In fact, from having been so little disturbed, it will allow itself to be run down and caught. I was enabled to catch two in this way. Four or five of my men being on shore, I directed them to surround a bush into which I saw one of these Wallabies run, when the animal, seeing itself approached on all sides, became so bewildered that, instead of attempting to escape, it thrust its head into the thick scrub and allowed us to catch it by the tail.

"One I have alive has a habit of frequently crouching down like a Hare, with its tail brought forward between and before its fore feet."

Adult Male. Face dark grizzled grey, stained with rufous on the forehead; external surface of the ear and the space between the ears dark blackish grey; sides of the neck, shoulders, fore arms, flanks, and hind legs rufous, palest on the flanks; a line of obscure blackish brown passes down the back of the neck and spreads into the dark grizzled brown of the back; throat and chest buffy white; under surface of the body grey; tail grizzled grey, deepening into black on the upper side and the extremity. Fur somewhat short, coarse,