Extracts from the Minute-Book of the Liiinean Society. 68$ 



been found on its nest in a lagotm near Campbell's 

 River, by Mr. Rawley, who says that he was obliged to 



tear the nest to pieces before he could gel the animal 

 out, the nest being formed of reeds and rushes, with 

 a long tube or entrance into it. out of which the 

 bill of the animal only was visible. The animal was 

 placed in a bucket of water, in which it seemed to 

 enjoy itself for some time, occasionally getting on its 

 back in the water to scratch its head with the hind foot 

 The eyes are small and prominent, of B muddy-brown 

 colour, with blue pupil, and are situated Immediate!} 

 behind the skinny flap at the base of t he bill. After 

 a short time it did not seem so like being in the watei . 

 and therefore it was taken out : a string was tied round 

 the leg, and it was allowed to go on the grass, when 

 it crawled along, seemingly with difficulty. It appeared 

 to like having its head scratched, as it allowed me to do 

 so without moving. ' Oct. 14. — Found the Ornitho- 

 rhijnchus nearly dead, and proceeded to examine its 

 structure. The rectum, vagina, and urinary bladder 

 have one common orifice. On opening the abdomen 

 I was much gratified to find in the left ovarium a round 

 yellow ovum, about the size of a small pea. Then 

 were also two of smaller size, and an immense num- 

 ber of minute vesicles, hardly perceptible to the eye, 

 but distinctly visible under the microscope. There 

 was no uterus, nor any viscus similar to it, but only a 

 tube leading up from the cloaca, which divided into 

 two ducts leading to the ovaries, similar in situation to 

 the Fallopian tubes of viviparous animals, but much 

 larger and wider. There was not any appearance of 

 impregnation in the right ovarium.' I cut out the 

 4 l 2 whole 



