boongary

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

n.


the tree-kangaroo of NorthQueensland, a marsupial tree-climber, about the size of a largewallaby, Dendrolagus lumholtzii, Collett. A nativename. Bangaray = Red Kangaroo, in Governor Hunter'svocabulary of the Port Jackson dialect (1793).

1890. C. Lumholtz, `Among Cannibals,' p. 226:

«The tree-kangaroo is without comparison a better-proportionedanimal than the common kangaroo. The fore-feet, which arenearly as perfectly developed as the hind-feet, have largecrooked claws, while the hind-feet are somewhat like those of akangaroo, though not so powerful. The sole of the foot issomewhat broader and more elastic on account of a thick layerof fat under the skin. In soft ground its footprints are verysimilar to those of a child. The ears are small and erect, andthe tail is as long as the body of the animal. The skin istough, and the fur is very strong and beautiful. . . . Uponthe whole the boongary is the most beautiful mammal I have seenin Australia. It is a marsupial, and goes out only in thenight. During the day it sleeps in the trees, and feeds on theleaves.»