Pademelon

Suppose, as you were driving through the countryside, someone were to point towards a passing paddock and say "Look! Pademelons!", and supposing further that in the paddock could be seen a scattering of what looked like small, round, wild, grey skinned melons as well as several small wallabies, would you not look at the melons?

And would you not wonder why the person with whom you were travelling had chosen to point out the melons when there were delightful small wallabies to be seen?

You would.

Unless you knew what a pademelon was.

Many years ago this exact thing happened to Pliny, albeit without the wallabies. He was reminded of it yesterday when 'pademelon' was the answer to one across in the Hard Crossword.