American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-09-20
A Baby that Lives in a Bag.

That is droll place for baby to live
in a fur bag. Baby boys and girls
wouldn't like it very well, but for baby
Kangaroos it is just the thing.
Most fOur-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 snuggest place of all.
1t is sort of bag on the under side of
her body.
| When the baby is born it is not so large
| as a mouse, and of course it can't do any
| thing but drink milk and grow. So it
stays in the bag till it is eight or nine
| months old, and begins to want to see the
| world After that the little fellow puts its
head out now and then and takes nibble
at the grass while its mother is eating. At
last it comes out and hops about little,
but for a long time, till it is able to take
care of itself, it goes back into its cozy,
warm nursery very often. And if the
very shy l can tell you-she just takes the
little one in the bag, and away they go.
You have, probably, seen 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-or
rather leaps-yOu never saw; sometimes
thirty feet at a jump. Besides the i'm
mense hind legs she has 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 a hurry, but she can walk if
she likes, and iroll walk it is. She puts
her forefeet on the ground, and rests on>
them and tine 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 wagon for these i'm
pertinent dogs, and that is her tail. Thia
useful member not only serves as a Nth
leg, but as club. When dogs get near
enough she gives them dreadful blows
with it.
The one I'm telling about IS the Giant
Kangaroo, and is about four feet high
when sitting up. There are about fifty
species known, of all sizes, down 10 one
not so big as a rat. In the Malay Islands
the smaller kinds are often caught and
tanned. They are extremely graceful and
pretty pets.
Kangaroos are sociable fellows; some
times a hunter will come upon 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 comfort,
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-ln Austria
liza 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 fruit
One little fellow. belonging to the fami-
w, is called the Jerboa Kangaroo. He is
about as large as rabbit and very pretty. :
He leaps over the ground like his bigger re-
lations, and makes a funny house for him
self. Hunting up little hollow among
the grass, he builds ii roof of grass and
leaves which looks much like the grass
around it, Most people would pass the
little house twenty times day and rever
see it.
When the cunning little fellow can't
find grass near by that is long enough, he
goes off till he finds some, and proceeds to
cut down as much he wants. lie then
rolls his tail around it so rs 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 careful to close
the door, when she goes out, by drawing
wisp of grass before it. These little ba-
bies, you see, have no nice fur bag to ride
in.-Olire IhorHe, an Christian Union.
The pumb her of prisoners confined in