622 Extracts from the Minute-Book of the Linnean Society. 



New South Wales, 3d January 1821, addressed to the 

 Secretary : 



" You will be gratified to learn, that I have been 

 completely successful in establishing our friend Sir 

 John Jamison's account of the spur of the Ornithorhyn- 

 chus paradoxus. I subjoin an extract from my notes : 

 'Sunday, Oct. 1, 1820. — On the banks of Campbell's 

 River. In the morning shot a male Ornithorhjnchus. 

 On examination, soon after it was killed, I observed 

 near the extremity of the convex side of the spur, a 

 minute spot, like the orifice of a tube ; and on endea- 

 vouring to pass a bristle from this spot, three succes- 

 sive drops of a limpid clear fluid issued from it. I 

 then examined the other spur with the same result. 

 On dissecting the foot of the animal, I found at the 

 inner side of the root of the spur, immediately over the 

 articulation, a small cyst, which I cut into ; it did not 

 at that time contain any fluid ; but from it I, with great 

 ease, passed a horse-hair through the spur. This pre- 

 paration I have sent to you, together with the dried 

 cyst/ 



" You will also be pleased to learn, that I have been 

 fortunate enough to get an impregnated female of this 

 interesting animal. I give you another extract from my 

 notes : ' Bathurst, Oct. 13. — After breakfast went with 

 Mr. Scott to examine a hole, where we had been told 

 that a wounded Ornithorhynchus had taken refuge, and 

 which we hoped might prove to be the animal's nest ; 

 but on digging we found it to be that of a Rat. On re- 

 turning, however, we were gratified in finding that a fe- 

 male Ornithorhynchus had been brought in alive, having 



been 



