i02 Kershaw, Breeding Habits and Young of Platypus, f 



Vict. Nat. 

 Vol. XXIX. 



NOTES ON THE BREEDING HABITS AND YOUNG OF 



THE PLATYPUS, ORNITHORHYNCHUS ANATINUS, 



Shaw. 



By J. A. Kershaw, Acting Director National Museum, 



Melbourne. 



(With two Plates.) 



{Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 12th Aug., 191 2.) 



In November, 1910, two young Platypus were forwarded to 



the National Museum by Mr. H. Quiney. These had been 



obtained from a burrow on the banks of the Hopkins River, 



about twelve miles from Mortlake, by Mr. Claridge, overseer 



on Mr. R. A. D. Hood's station. They were both alive and in 



perfect condition when received, are quite naked, and the 



eyes closed. The claws are well developed, the broad membrane 



of the fore feet of the adult being represented by a slight 



crenulated fold. 



The two specimens measure as follows : — 



No. I. — Total length . . . . 219 mm. 



Length of snout . . 13 mm. 



Breadth of snout , . 15 mm. 



Length of tail . . . . 28 mm. 



No. 2. — Total length . . . . 216 mm. 



Length of snout . . 13 mm. 



Breadth of snout . . 14 mm. 



Length of tail . . • • 30 mm. 



With the object of obtaining still younger specimens, or, 

 possibly, the eggs, I visited the locality on the 20th October 

 last year, accompanied by Mr. Ouiney and Mr. Hood, to l)oth 

 of whom I am greatly indebted for their \'aluable assistance 

 in my search. 



The river, at the spot visited, is a fairly broad, quiet stream, 

 winding about through an extensive grassy flat, margined and 

 shaded with large old Red Gum trees. The banks in places are 

 steep ; in others they slope ra})idly to the water's edge. At 

 the time of my visit the river was low, but when in flood it 

 rises fully ten or twelve feet. 



After a careful search along the banks several burrows were 

 located, places where the soil is easily worked being usually 

 selected. The entrances to the burrows, when once seen, may 

 always be easily recognised. In every instance these were 

 situated some feet above the level of the water, varying from 

 four to fully twelve feet above the present level. In no case 

 did the burrows open out below the water, though during heavy 

 floods several of those seen would certainly be covered. In 

 nearly every instance there was an opening to the surface 

 higher up the bank, and in one case a double opening was found 

 in the same burrow — one immediately beyond the other — the 



