Nov.n Kersuaw, Breeding Habits and Young of Platypus. 105 



weight of the animal, while those iorming the sides and top 

 were loosely interwoven. The interior measured six inches 

 across and four and a half inches deep. The shrunken remains 

 of one egg were found in the nest. 



On releasing the animal from the trench, and partly raising 

 her by the tail, a small white object was noticed attached to 

 the abdomen in the region of the pouch. This, on a closer 

 examination, and greatly to my surprise, proved to be an 

 exceedingly small young one, so securely attached to the skin 

 as to require a little force to detach it. I then remembered 

 that, when raising the animal, a small object was seen to drop 

 into the trench, where a short search revealed a second young 

 one. 



An examination of the female did not disclose any defined 

 pouch or fold, though the hair was very thin where the embryos 

 had been attached. 



Considering the extremely small size of the embryos, which, 

 when coiled up in the manner pecuHar to very small marsupials, 

 only measured about 15 mm., it was surprising they had not 

 been dislodged during the sudden rush of the mother through 

 the nest, or while she was temporarily enclosed in the trench. 

 Wishing to bring them alive to Melbourne, they were carefully 

 placed in cotton wool, but only lived for about twelve hours. 

 The total length of one of the specimens preserved in spirits is 

 30 mm. The tail measures 3 mm. 



The adult is surprisingly rapid in its movements on land, 

 and when released from its burrow at once makes off in the 

 direction of the water. Throughout the night it kept up a 

 continuous scratching against the sides of the box in which 

 it was confined, but during the day it remained quiet. When 

 walking it seemed to bend the fore-claws under the foot, giving 

 it the appearance of walking on its knuckles, the broad fleshy 

 membrane, used only while swimming, being doubled back. 



The soft tip of the snout is extremely sensitive, the animal 

 showing a strong dislike to even a touch with the finger. 



The result of my search showed that, at least in this locality, 

 and contrary to the generally accepted belief — 



There is no entrance to the burrow below the water-line, 

 but in flood-time, when the river rises considerably, 

 the entrances to some of them would be below the 

 water. 



That many of the entrances were situated so high above 

 the usual water-line that they would only I'c immersed 

 during e\coi)tionally high floods 



That some of the burrows had outlets on high ground 

 in addition to that lower down and nearer the water. 



