180 Account of the Ornithorynchus Paradoxus. 



bits the perfect refemblance of the bill of a duck engrafted 

 on the head of a quadruped. So flrong, indeed, is the fimt- 

 litiule, that, when the (turfed animal was full brought to Eu- 

 rope, fome naturalifts were inclined to fui'pect that the h\\\ 

 was a deceptive preparation produced by artificial means; 

 and it was not without the moll rigid obfervation that they; 

 could perfuade themfelves that the beak or fnout of .the qua- 

 druped was real. 



The length of the whole animal from the tip of the beak 

 to that of the tail is iH inches; that of the beak is 1} inch. 

 The body is depreifed, and has fome refemblance to that of 

 an otter. It is covered with very thick foft fur, of a mode- 

 rately dark brown colour above, and of a fomewhat ferruginous 

 white beneath : the head is flattifh, and rather fmall than 

 large: the mouth or fnout, as already mentioned, has fo 

 linking a refemblance to that of fome broad-billed fpecies of 

 duck, that it might be miftaken for fuch : round the bale of 

 it there is a Hat circular membrane rather wider below r than 

 above, that below being nearly the fifth of an inch, and that 

 above an eighth. The tail is flat) and covered with fur like 

 the b6*dy ; it is rather fhort and obtufe, and has an almoil 

 bifid termination : it is broader at the bafe, and gradually 

 decreafes to the tip : it is about 4^ inches in length, and its co- 

 lour is fimilar to that of the body. The legs, which are fhort, 

 terminate in a broad web, which in the fore-feet extends to 

 a confiderable diftance beyond the claws, but in the hind-feet, 

 it reaches no further than the roots of the claws. The fore- 

 feet have five ftraight, ilronix, and (harp-pointed claws; the 

 two exterior ones fomewhat fhorter than the middle ones. 

 The hind -feet have fix claws, which are longer and more in- 

 clining to a curved form than thoie of the fore-feet : the ex- 

 terior toe and claw are considerably fhorter than the four 

 middle ones: the interior or fixth is placed much higher 

 up than the red, and refembles a itrong fbarp fpur. The 

 legs are all hairy above: the fore- feet are naked both above 

 and below. The internal edges of the. under mandible, which 

 is narrower than the upper, arc ferrated with numerous ftoMt, 

 as in a duck's bill. The noli ri Is arc fmall and round : they 

 are fituated about a quarter of an inch from the tip of the 

 bill, and are about the eighth of an inch diftaut from each 

 other. The cars are placed about jji inch beyond the eyes; 

 they appear like a pair of oval holes the eighth of an inch in 

 diameter, without any external ear. "On the upper part of 

 the head a little beyond the beak there is on each fide a 

 final lid) oval fpot in which the eyes are placed, or at leafl 

 thole paits which feein allotted to the animal for fome kind 



of 



