[The Voyage Of Governor Phillip To Botany Bay by Arthur Phillip]@TWC D-Link book
The Voyage Of Governor Phillip To Botany Bay

CHAPTER XXII
17/69

In page 149 it is stated, that the Kanguroo has four teeth (by which were meant cutting teeth) in the upper jaw, opposed to two in the under.

The truth is, that there are six opposed to two, as may be perceived in the engraved representation of the skeleton of a Kanguroo's head, inserted at page 168.

The same arrangement of teeth takes place in the Opossum, described in that page, which is there, still more erroneously, said to have only two cutting teeth opposed to two.
This latter mistake arose from the difficulty of examining the mouth of the living animal.

It is since dead, and the teeth are found to be disposed as now stated, and as represented in the scull of the Vulpine Opossum, in the same plate with that of the Kanguroo.
But the most important error is in the position of the Kanguroo, as represented in our plate at page 106.

The true standing posture of the Kanguroo is exactly the same as that of the Kanguroo Rat, delineated at page 277; namely, with the rump several inches from the ground, (in large specimens, not less than eight) and resting entirely on the long last joint of the hinder legs, the whole under side of which is bare and callous like a hoof.


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