, 1874-07-11
THE KANGAROO, AN ACQUISITION
IN ENGLISH PARKS.
(From The Daily Nsws.l

pralrleS, the Wild boar OF German or Russian
forests, the tiger or the lion of Indian or Afri-
can iungles, offer those dangers to be overcome,
and hardships to be endured, which to adVen-
turous spirits form the chief attraction of the
chase, and which are entirely lacking to sports
manship in England. The kangaroo, again
one of the few %quadrupeds indigenous to Aus
tralia-is a quarry that no hunter need be
ashamed Of pursuing, and a chase after a good
"boomer," as the gamest of these animals
are called, is a most exhilarating affair. They
are possessed of enOrmOu strength, combined
with astonishing rapidity Of movement, and
when pursued will bound over the ground, TAX
ing long leaps oftwelVe to twenty feet, as they
spring from their long and powerful hind legs.
Very strong and courageous dogs are required
for the kangaroo chase and over an open
country the kangaroo will show excellent sport,
with the additional attraction that those en-
gagged in the hunt are certain, unless he actually
Outstrip them in speed and get clear away, Of
not losing the object Of their pursuit. No ca
sual drain or bit of cover will hold the kanga-
roo, but it is fair chase in full view all the
time. If hard pressed the animal will stand
at bay, with its back against a bank, or rock,
or the trunk Of a tree, and show fight sufficient
to delight the heart Of the most daring "b'ar
"hunter'' of the Rocky Mountains. Standing
erect on its long hind1egs, it will seize either
DOC or man that comes within reach of its short
er fore arms and hold them tightly to itself,
as a bear will hug its enemy, till it can bring
its hind legs into play. These are armed with
o long, sharp, cutting claw, with which it will
rip up its adversary, and infict the most dan.
gerous wounds. Once secured the kangaroo
is a valuable prize its flesh is good eating,
and kangaroo "tail soup beats any "|Oxtail''
in the world so that in this respect it is supa-
rior to the fox, whose brush" is so much
sought after by English sp~ortsmen, and the
skin of the kangaroo makes excellent leather,
far tougher and stronger than oX-hide, and as
supple and soft as "kid.' Boots made of this
leather are commonly used in The cities Of Aus
tralia, and are more durable than ordinary
leather. The introduction, then, Of this ami
NAL into England suggests Itself as a very de-
sirable event, and the question arises as to its
habits, whether it would thrive here, and
whether it would prove destructive if bred in
gentlemen's parks. The first question has re-
Ceiyed ample answer in the condition of the
kangaroos kept in confinement in the Zo0l0gi-
cal Gardens, where they breed freely, and en-
ioy excellent health. Several gentlemen, too,
have introduced them on their estates with
considerable success. Indeed, a paddock full
of kangarO0s on the estate of a n0bleman in Ok
fordshire was recently entered by a pack Of
hounds which had lost their scent of their pro-
per quarry, the fox, and the singular scene oc-
Cured of a kangaroo hunt taking he place of
a fox hunt. 1t was with difficulty that the
hounds were beaten off, and both dogs and kan
garOos suffered in the fray. The only condi-
ton of our climate which this marsupial fears
is damp: it will bear great extremes of cold
and heat, but damp is fatal to it. However,
it has thliven in this country and in France,
and there seems no good reason why its cult
walton should not be encouraged. 1t commits
very little depreciation among the trees and
shrubs, though individuals occasionally take
to nibbIing the barks of trees. This is not q
characteristic fault, though, among kangaroos
as among deer-it is sort Of contagious ma
MIA which the bad example of one will convey
to the rest of the flock. They may be broken
of the habit by enclosing them for a time in
q space where they can get no ''green meat
neither grass nor leaves; when they are libe-
rated after a few days they are so glad to get
grass to eat that they forget the trees. Kan
CARGO parks will some day probably become
as popular as deer parks. That great benefits
would result from the cultivation of these ami
mails there can be no doubt, and the subject is
one which commends itself to the considera-
ton of those who have the opportunity of MAX
ing the experiment.
~- 50 @m Uz--w