476 ox THE FEMORAL GLAND OF ORXITHOliHyXCHUS. 



In the same year (1835) Dr. G. Bennett gave an account* of a 

 specimen he shot in September. It was wounded only, and 

 l^rought in by the dog. It made no attempt to use its spur, even 

 when handled in such a way as to enable it to readily use it if it 

 had wished to do so. He states that the blackfellows were not 

 afraid of handling the animal alive. He says : — " I am convinced 

 some other use must be found for the spur than as an offensive 

 weapon." He found a small impervious depression in the female 

 shot on the same day, situated in a position corresponding to that 

 of the spur in the male. There was no rudimentary spur. He 

 thought this might serve for the reception of the spur of the male. 



In 1859 the same naturalist published some observations! on 

 two of these animals ((J, 9) which he had kept in captivity, in 

 Avhich he makes the following statement : — 



" From my recent observations I consider the question of the 

 spur in the male being a poisonous weapon as now decided ; for 

 the li-ving male specimen, though very shy and wild, can be 

 handled with impunity. Although making violent attempts to 

 escape, and even giving me some severe scratches with the hind 

 claws in its attempts, still either in or out of the water he has 

 neAer attempted to use the spur as a weapon of defence." 



Under the heading, " The Poison of the Platypus," the follow- 

 ing extract is quoted in the Australian Journal of Education! 

 from the " Maitland Mercur}-^ " : — " On Tuesday, the 9th instant, 

 when Mr. E. was fishing in the riAer near his residence, he 

 found that a Platypus had got entangled in the net, and upon 

 catching the animal it immediately struck the two spurs attached 

 to its two floats or arms into the forefinger of Mr. E.'s left hand, 

 with such force that they penetrated through the skin and into 

 the muscles of the finger, and it was with great difficulty that 

 Mr. E. at last succeeded in ridding himself of his unwelcome 



* Xotes on the Nat. Hist, and Habits of the Orriifhorhynchn-'i 2}n>'CKfoxu-<. 

 Trans. Zooh Soc. Vol. i. 1835, p. 229. 



t Notes on the Duck-Bill (Oruithorhijurhnx anafinwij. Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 1859, p. 213. 



J Aust. Journ. Educ. .^-ydnej', 1869. 



