KANGAROOS

Another in the Darlings' excellent ``On Location'' series (Walrus, 1991, etc.)—a survey of the ``sixty different kinds of kangaroos,'' including wallabies, quokkas, and pademelons, with outstanding color photos taken at seven Australian locations. The Darlings sample the many habitats, behaviors, colors, and sizes of the ``roos,'' focusing especially on their unusual locomotion (because hopping conserves energy in the manner of a bouncing ball, ``they actually use less energy hopping at the greater speeds,'' which may be faster than a race horse); ``Baby Factories'' (``a doe is seldom without...an embryo in her womb, a joey in her pouch, and a yearling by her side''); diet (they're ruminants); and adaptations (a few species are endangered, but the record is unusually encouraging). Lucid and packed with fascinating information, including firsthand observations and reference to research. ``Kangaroo Facts''; index. (Nonfiction. 8- 12)