The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-09-20
BY OLIVE THORNE.

| BY OLIVE THORNE.
That is droll place for baby to live
in fur bag. Baby boys and girls
wouldn't like it very well, but for baby
kangarOos it Is Just the thing.
Most fore footed mothers, you know,
make a snug nursery for the little ones,
some of them under the ground, and
others among rocks and other quiet
places, but nature has provided mamma
Kangaroo with the suggest place OF
all. 1t Is a sort of a bag on the under
side of her body.
When the baby is born it is not so
| large as mouse, and of course it can't
do anything but drink milk and grow.
50 1T stays iii the bag till it is eight or
nine mouths Old, and begins to see the
world. After that the little fellow puts
its head ont now and then, and some
times takes a nibble of grass whileiits
mother is eating. At last it comes out
| and hops about for little, but for a
| long time, till 1t is able to take care of
itself, 1t goes back into it's cozy, warm
| nursery very often. And if the mother
| suspects any danger-and she's very
shy can tell you-she just takes 5hc
little one III the bag, and away they 60.
You have, probably, seen a picture
of kangaroo, and you know what long
hind legs this careful mamma has, and
what comical little fore legs. That is
because she is made for hopping Such
hopS-0r rather leaps-you never saw
sometimes thirty feet at Jump. Be
sides the immense hind legs she has a
very large and strong tail that is as
good as another leg to help to Jump.
She can get over the ground faster
than horse.
Her fore legs are not of much use to
her when she's in Il hurry, but she can
walk if she likes, and droll walk it is.
She puts her fore feet on the ground,
and rests on them and the stiff tail,
while she Jerks forward her long hind
legs. So she gets on, after fashion.
This curious animal has four toes on
her hind feet, and on one of them she
has fearful nail, which she knows
how to use when hunters dogs come
too near. She has also another weapon
for these impairment dogs, and that is
her tail. This useful member not only
serves as a fifth leg, but as club.
When dogs get near enough she gives
them dreadful blows with it.
The one I'm telling about is the
Chant Kangaroo, and is about four feet
high when sitting up. There are about
fifty species known, of all sizes, down
TO one not SO big as a rat. In the Ma
lay Islands the smaller kinds are often
caught, and tanned. They are extreme
~ graceful and pretty pets.
kangaroOS are SOcIable fellows
dozen Of them sitting up on their hind
legs. and apparently holding council
together, probably discussing the
weather and the state of the grass.
Unfortunately for their own com
fort, they are very good to eat, and
their white teeth are in great demand |
among the dark-skinned natives for
beads. SO they are frequently hunted, |
and have need to put the baby in the |
bag, and jump their best. Sometimes
they are caught-in Australia-in nets. |
They are driven on to them, and while |
entangled are killed with clubs.
They have another way of dealing
with hunting dogs besides striking with
their tails. If there is water near they
go in up to the shoulders, and then, |
woe to the dog who dares to go near
The kangaroo will seize him and hold
him under water till he browns.
Kangaroos live in the woods, and
one kind, the Tree Kangaroo, even
lives in the trees, and eats leaves and
trees.
One little fellow, belonging to the
family, is called the Jerboa Kangaroo
He is about as large as a rabbit, and
very pretty. He leaps over the ground
like his bigger relations, and makes a
funny house for himself. Huntingfup
a little hollow among the grass, he
builds a roof of grass and leaves, which
looks much like the grass around it.
Most people would pass the little house
twenty times a day and never see it.
When the cunning little fellow can't
find grass near by that is long enough,
he goes off till be finds some, and pro
ceeds to cut down as much as he wants.
He then rolls his tail around it so as to
make it into bundle-or bale perhaps
[ ought to say-and hops away to his
nest with the load.
When the house is done, and the
babies in it, the mother is very care
full to close the door, when she goes
out, by drawing wisp of grass before
it. These little babies, you see, have
40 nice fur bag to ride in.