to a very few species:  Wolves have not been seen, though the tracks of them were so frequently thought to be detected on this coast by Captain Cook’s party.  Birds are numerous, but they belong in general to classes already known to naturalists; a few drawings however, and specimens of both, have been sent over.  These, to gratify, as far as possible, the curiosity of those readers whose attention is particularly directed to natural history, have been engraved, and a short account of them is thrown together in this chapter.  Of reptiles few have been seen that are at all curious.  A large Lizard, of the Scincus kind, with the remarkable peculiarity of a small spine or horn standing near the extremity of the tail, is said to be among some specimens sent over as private presents; and also a kind of frog, whose colour is blue; but these do not in other respects differ materially from the usual form of their respective species.  The ants are fully described in Captain Cook’s first voyage.

* * * * *

Quadrupeds.

The kanguroo has been particularly described already.

The spotted opossum.

The annexed plate represents a small animal of the opossum kind, which has not before been delineated.  It is perhaps the same which is slightly described in Captain Cook’s first voyage as resembling a polecat, having the back spotted with white; and is there said to be called by the natives Quoll.* The colour however is darker, being rather black than brown.

[* Hawkesw. iii. p. 222.]

The Spotted Opossum, for so it may properly be named, is in length from the nose to the extremity of the tail about twenty-five inches, of which the tail itself takes up about nine or ten.  The general colour of the animal is black, inclining to brown beneath; the neck and body spotted with irregular roundish patches of white; the ears are pretty large, and stand erect, the visage is pointed, the muzzle furnished with long slender hairs; the fore, as well as hind legs, from the knees downward, almost naked, and ash-coloured; on the fore feet are five claws, and on the hind, four and a thumb without a claw; the tail, for about an inch and an half from the root, covered with hairs of the same length as those on the body, from thence to the end with long ones not unlike that of a squirrel.  The specimen from which the above account was taken, is a female, and has six teats placed in a circle, within the pouch.

Another animal of the opossum kind has been sent alive to the Rev. Dr. Hamilton, Rector of St. Martin’s, Westminster, and is now living in the possession of Mr. J. Hunter.  It appears to be of the same sort as that mentioned in Captain Cook’s first voyage,* and that also which was found near Adventure Bay, represented in the eighth plate of Captain Cook’s third voyage, and slightly described in Vol.  I. p. 109 of that work:  but it must be owned, that neither its form nor character is very well expressed in that plate.