THE Kangaroos are regarded as among the most remarkable of mammals. Everything about them is extraordinary; their movements and their attitudes when at rest, the way they seek their food, their reproduction, their development, and their mental qualities. Twenty and thirty years ago, it is said, the visitor to Australia could see more Kangaroos to the square mile than there are jack rabbits today, and it was literally impossible to avoid the countless flocks that swarmed over the whole island. Walsh says that, with a good rifle, he could take a position on a rock and shoot all day long, until tired of the monotony of the slaughter, or until some "old man" kangaroo became desperate at his killing and decided to turn the table upon him. In those days men were paid liberally by the sheepowners to kill off the kangaroos, and it is stated that one hunter would kill several hundred a day, and one man is known to have cleared $4,500, free of living expenses, in a single year. The visitor to Australia today discovers a decided change in many ways, but not more so than in the comparative scarcity of this animal. He may reside on the island for a month or two and not see one kangaroo. There are still large numbers of them, but they must be hunted up and their favorite feeding-places located by guides. The sheepherders caused the creatures to be destroyed in such numbers before they became of any commercial value that they are now rarely found outside of the "bush." About three hundred miles back from the coast thousands can still be found. The country abounds in straggling bushes, with very few tall trees or woods to obstruct travel; but the bushes, while in the open country, are tall enough to make good hiding-places for the marsupials. They feed on the grass, roots, and leaves, and when startled by a hunter, leap over the bushes as easily as a rabbit jumps over the tufts of grass.

The hind legs of the kangaroo are powerful weapons. One long claw, hard as bone or steel, and sharp as a knife at the point, gives the kangaroo an implement, says a writer in the Scientific American, that can kill a man or beast with one blow.

The front paws are not so strong, but an old fellow has strength enough in them to seize a dog and hold him under the water until dead. On land they will seize an enemy and hold him until the hind claws can cut him nearly in two. They are also good boxers, and when the natives attempt to kill them with clubs they dodge the implements with all the skill of a professional pugilist, and unless the man is an expert he may get the worst of the encounter. Quite a number of hunters have been severely injured, and some killed, by attempting to corner a wounded kangaroo when enraged by a bullet wound. The fleetest horse cannot keep pace with any of the larger kangaroos, but with a little tact the hunters are enabled to capture them whenever they are sighted. When the creatures are once started on a run, they will not swerve from their course, but continue straight onward, leaping over bushes, rocks, and all ordinary obstacles. The hunters generally station themselves in the line that the animals are most likely to pursue, and then wait until the dogs or the rest of the party start them up.

The ordinary gait of the kangaroo, which it assumes principally when grazing, is a heavy, awkward hobble. It supports its fore feet on the ground and then pushes the hinder legs on between them. While doing so it must also support itself on its tail, as else it could not lift its long hinder legs high enough to render such movements possible. But it remains in this position no longer than is absolutely necessary. Whenever it has plucked some favorite plant, it assumes the erect position to consume it. In their sleep the smaller species adopt a position similar to that of a hare in its form. Closely crouched to the ground, they squat down on all fours, the tail being extended at length behind the body. This position enables them to take flight instantly.

The kangaroo leaps only on its hinder legs, but its bounds surpass those of any other animal in length. It presses its fore limbs tightly against the chest, stretches the tail straight out backwards, thrusts the long and slender hind legs against the ground with all the force of the powerful thigh muscles, and darts like an arrow through the air in a low curve. The leaps follow in immediate succession, and each is at least nine feet, but the larger species cover, not infrequently, from twenty to thirty-three feet at a bound, the height of each leap being from six to ten feet. Few hounds can keep pace with a kangaroo.