598 



THE EGG-LAYING MAMMALS. 



are longer and sharper than those of the fore feet-, 

 the web extends only to the base of the toes. The 

 male has on each hind foot a pointed, mobile spur, 

 which can be rotated either on its own axis or 

 around the leg to a considerable extent. It is placed 

 a little above the toes and directed inward. The 

 tail is flat and is broad at the end, the extremity 

 being formed by long hairs. It is abruptly cut off, 

 and in old animals is either entirely naked beneath 

 or covered with a few coarse hairs. In young ani- 

 mals it is quite hairy, the fur in the older specimens 

 probably being worn away by long continued fric- 

 tion. The head is rather flat, small and so markedly 

 characterized by its broad duck-like beak as to be 

 without an equal in point of singularity among 

 mammals. Both jaws are elongated, and are sur- 

 rounded along their entire length by a horny envel- 

 ope, which is continued backward in a curious shield. 

 The adult animal has only four horny teeth in its 

 two jaws, of which the upper front tooth is long, 

 narrow and sharp, while the posterior tooth is broad 

 and flat, and resembles a grinder. Before the Duck- 

 mole attains one third or a half of its size, it has, in 

 the place of these horny teeth, eight true teeth which 

 have the appearance of flat, irregularly rounded 

 disks, beset at their edges with larger or smaller 

 cusps or protuberances. These teeth, which have 

 been discovered only recently, resemble those of 

 the small fossil mammals of the Jurassic group. 

 After they have been almost entirely worn away and 

 cast, the horny formations replace them, being 

 developments of mucous membrane which has be- 

 come indurated and horny in character. The ori- 

 fices of the nostrils are situated on the upper surface 

 of the beak, near its extremity; the small eyes are 

 placed high in the head; the aperture of the car, 

 which may be closed by a special muscle acting as a 

 valve, is situated near the outer corner of the eye. 

 The fold of integument, which projects like a shield 

 from the beak over the front of the head and the 

 throat, is of great use to the animal, as it keeps the 

 mud off the adjacent fur during the search for food 

 and shelters the eyes when the Duck-mole is dig- 

 ging. The tongue is fleshy but beset with callous 

 projections and is supplemented with a curious 

 bulbous organ behind, which completely closes the 

 mouth. Thus the beak is an excellent sieve, ena- 

 bling the animal to examine the water, separate the 

 eatable substances from others, and to store them 

 away in the capacious cheek-pouches extending 

 along the sides of the head. 



The fur of the Duck-mole consists of a thick, 

 coarse outer coat of dark brown color with a silvery 

 white surface tinge, and a very soft, grayish inner 

 fur, similar to that of the Seal and Otter. A peculiar 

 fish-like odor, probably due to some oily secretion, 

 is given forth by the fur, especially when it is wet. 

 The Australians, however, are very fond of the flesh 

 of the animal in spite of this disgusting odor. 

 Habits and Dom- The Duck-mole is fondest of calm 

 idle of the spots in rivers filled with an abun- 

 Duch-mole. dance of aquatic plants and the banks 

 of which are shaded by the dense foliage of trees; 

 and it constructs more or less complicated bur- 

 rows in the banks. A tortuous tunnel, usually about 

 eighteen feet long, terminates in a spacious cham- 

 ber: both the chamber and its approaches being 

 strewn with dry aquatic plants. Generally, however, 

 every chamber has two entrances, one below the 

 surface of the contiguous water, the other about 

 twelve inches above. 



The Duck-moles are seen at all times in the rivers 

 of Australia, but most frequently during the spring 

 and summer, and the question has been propounded 

 whether they might not hibernate. Their habits 

 usually induce them to emerge from their retreats 

 at dusk, though they sometimes also appear on the 

 surface of the earth in the daytime, searching for 

 food. When the water is very clear, the observer 

 can follow with the eyes the movements of the ani- 

 mal as it dives and reappears above the surface. 

 He who wishes to observe it must be quiet and 

 motionless; for not the slightest movement eludes 

 its keen eye, nor does the least noise escape its 

 delicate sense of hearing. It rarely remains above 

 water over one or two minutes at a time; then it 

 dives and reappears at a short distance. As Bennett 

 saw exemplified in his captive specimens, the Duck- 

 mole likes to stay near the shore, amidst the mud, 

 searching for its food between the roots of the 

 aquatic plants, which form the main abode of in- 

 sects. The diet which it obtains during its forays 

 consists mainly of small aquatic insects and mol- 

 lusks; it stores them temporarily in its cheek- 

 pouches and then consumes them i. greater leisure. 

 Bennett's Artec- "On a beautiful summer evening," 

 dote of a Duck- says Bennett, "I approached a small 

 mole. river in Australia, and as I knew the 



predilection of the Duck-mole for the hour of dusk, 

 I tried to obtain a glimpse of one. With a constant 

 grasp on our guns, we patiently stood on the shore. 

 It was not long before we saw a black object appear 

 near us on top of the water, the head being raised 

 but little above the surface. We stood motionless, 

 lest we should scare the animal, carefully observing 

 and following its movements, for one must be ready 

 to shoot just as the Duck-mole reappears after div- 

 ing. Only a shot in the head is effective, as the 

 loose, thick fur will not allow a bullet to penetrate 

 it readily. We wounded one which gave evidence 

 of severe injury and sank immediately, but soon 

 rose again. When the Dog brought it to us we 

 found it to be a fine male. It had not yet expired, 

 for it made an occasional movement; but no noise, 

 except a frequent stertorous breathing through the 

 nostrils, escaped it. Several minutes after it had 

 been brought out of the water it apparently revived, 

 and, instantly rising to its feet, staggered towards 

 the river. About twenty-five minutes later it turned 

 over several times and then died. As 1 had heard 

 much about the danger of being pierced by its spur, 

 even when the animal is mortally injured, I put my 

 hand near the so-called "poisonous" spur at the first 

 grasp. In its violent exertions to escape the animal 

 scratched me slightly with its hind paws and also 

 with its spur, but despite the roughness with which 

 I seized it, it did not wound me intentionally. I 

 had also been further told that the Duck-mole lay 

 on its back when it wished to use the spur, which 

 statement will not be received as at all probable by 

 any one who knows the animal in ever so slight a 

 way. I put it into this position, but it only strove 

 to regain its feet without attempting to wound me 

 by using its spur. In short, I tried in every way to 

 induce the animal to make use of its spur as a 

 weapon, but in vain; and I am perfectly convinced 

 that the spur has another function than that of a 

 weapon; the more so, as later experiments with 

 wounded animals have always yielded the same 

 result. The natives characterize the spur as "mis- 

 chievous," that being with them a word which in 

 general conveys the idea of dangerous or poisonous 



