Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790
(Figs 107; 109; 110)
Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790: text to pl. 33.
COMMON NAME. — Eastern Grey Kangaroo.
CURRENT NAME. — Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790 .
See Jackson & Groves (2015: 154).
COLLECTOR/S. — Charles-Alexandre Lesueur, contra Girard (1856: 114) who mentioned Péron as its collector.
COLLECTION LOCALITY. — Near Port Jackson (Sydney), New South Wales, Australia (Girard 1856: 114). One animal was taken alive back to France on board Le Géographe under the name of “Kanguroo géant” (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1804c: 172). Girard (1856: 114) reported that Péron brought back a living individual that perished on arrival and was dissected by G. Cuvier. According to a letter from Baudin, during the second break in Timor, there they had ten giant kangaroos alive on Le Géographe but only one was left upon arrival in France (Girard 1856: 114).
COLLECTION DATE. — Between 20 June and 18 November 1802.
SPECIMEN NUMBER/S. — No specimen identified in MNHN collection.
ILLUSTRATIONS. — Illustrated by Charles-Alexandre Lesueur – Muséum d’Histoire naturelle du Havre, Inv. no. 80273 (Fig. 107; centre, skull), Inv. no. 80056 (Fig. 109; two living animals) and Inv. no. 80067 (Fig. 110; sketch of an animal) (Baglione & Crémière 2009: 352; Fornasiero et al. 2016: 78).