Page:Mammals of Australia (Gould), introduction.djvu/55

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INTRODUCTION.

on the hills; and it is very difficult to procure specimens, as the places it frequents are so dense as to render shooting it almost impossible, nor can a dog even chase it. The only chance of obtaining it is by the aid of the natives, a number of whom walking or, rather, pushing their way through and beating the bush as they go abreast, and loudly shouting 'wow, wow, wow,' drive the Damas before them, when, by waiting in a clear space, you get the chance of a shot."

General colour of the fur grizzled brown, becoming of a reddish tint on the back of the neck, arms, and rump; face grey, washed with rufous on the forehead; outside of the ears and the space between them blackish grey; hinder legs light brown; tail grizzled grey; under surface of the body pale grey.

ft. in.
Length from the nose to the extremity of the tail 2 11
––––– of tail 1
––––– of tarsus and toes, including the nail 0
––––– of arm and hand, including the nails 0
––––– of face from the tip of the nose to the base of the ear 0 4
––––– of ear 0

This animal is closely allied to, and of nearly the same size as H. Thetidis, but has much larger ears, and a much more dense and lengthened fur, the base of which is bluish grey, to which succeeds reddish brown, then silvery white, the extreme tips being black.
The above is the description of a female; the male will doubtless prove to be of larger size.
Habitat. Houtmann's Abrolhos and Western Australia.

80. Halmaturus gracilis, Gould.
Macropus gracilis, Gould in Proc. Zool. Soc. part xii. p. 103.
Face and all the upper surface of the body grizzled grey and dark brown, the grizzled appearance being produced by