The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay: With an Account of the Establishment of the Colonies of Port Jackson and Norfolk Island (1789)Phillip, Arthur
History
The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay: With an Account of the Establishment of the Colonies of Port Jackson and Norfolk Island (1789)
Phillip, Arthur
Natural history -- Australia -- New South Wales; New South Wales -- Discovery and exploration; Norfolk Island
The species is about the size of a large polecat, and measures from the
tip of the nose to the setting on of the tail eighteen inches; the tail
itself being nearly the same length. The visage is pointed in shape, and
the whole make of the animal does not ill resemble that of the Fossane.
The general colour of the fur is black, marked all over with irregular
blotches of white, the tail not excepted, which has an elegant
appearance, and tapers gradually to a point.
The situation of the teeth and jaws is much the same as in the rest of
the genus, as may be seen in the upper part of the plate.
Inhabits the neighbourhood of Port Jackson.
Genus XVII. Didelphis.--Lin. Syst. Nat.
Genus XXII. Opossum.--Penn. Hist. 2uad.
KANGUROO RAT.
The upper jaw of this species has two cutting teeth in front, with three
others on each side of them, and at a distance one false grinder, sharp
at the edge, and channelled, or fluted, on the sides, and close to these,
two true grinders: in the lower jaw are two long cutting teeth, formed
like those of the squirrel, with three grinders, corresponding with those
in the upper jaw.
The general shape of the body is not widely different from that of the
Kanguroo, both in respect to the shortness of the fore legs and the
peculiar construction of the hind ones; but the visage being strongly
similar to that of the rat, and the colour of the whole not ill
resembling that animal, it has obtained the name of the Kanguroo Rat.
This is an inhabitant of New Holland, and two of the species are now to
be seen alive at the curious exhibition of animals over Exeter Exchange.
One of these, being a female, has brought forth young, one of which is
represented in the same plate with the adult animal. On the upper part of
the same plate is figured the jaw of a full grown subject.
Genus CXXII. Lacerta.--Lin. Sist. Nat.
THE LACED LIZARD.
This most elegant species is in length, from the nose to the
end of the tail, about forty inches: in the mouth are a few weak teeth,
though rather sharp, at about a quarter of an inch distance one from
another: the tongue is long and forked: the general shape is slender; and
the ground colour of the skin, on the upper parts, a brownish or bluish
black, whimsically marked with golden yellow; in some parts this colour
is beautifully mottled or freckled, like some kinds of lace-work; in
others, striped in various directions, particularly on the legs, which
seem as if striped across with black and white: the under parts are
yellow, crossed with single bars of black on the chin and throat, and
double clouded ones on the belly: the toes are five in number on each
foot, barred across with black and yellow, as the legs, and each
furnished with a crooked black claw: the tail measures more in length
than the whole of the body; towards the base, clouded and marked as the
rest; but the further half banded with black and yellow, each band three
inches broad, the end running to a very sharp point.
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