good when about ten months old. They are timid animals and go at great speed when alarmed. A full-grown Kangaroo has been known to cover a distance of twenty-five feet at one stride. The usual length is ten feet.
These animals are threatened with extinction. They have been so mercilessly hunted. The Kangaroo is peculiar to Australia and there are many species—the great grey, or "Boomer," is the largest, and is found more or less all over the country. It stands between four and five feet and weighs close to two hundred pounds. The red Kangaroo is the handsomest of the Kangaroo family. It is about four feet high and covered with brick red, fine, silky hair.
There are several small species called Wallabies, and the smallest species is known as the Rat Kangaroo. They average about fourteen inches in length.
The kangaroos are the most highly developed of their race (marsupial or pouched animals). They inhabit Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. The majority of them live on the grassy plains and a few dwell in trees.
