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may be due to the fact that fat is more plentiful in this part 

 of the body than elsewhere, and that the greatest buoyancy 

 is situated here. After procuring their food, they remain 

 for some minutes on the water's surface, or emerging from 

 the tank, rest on the side masticating the food procured, 

 seeming at times asleep but for the jaw movements. During 

 this time they will turn on their side and press the water 

 from back and chest with both front and hind paws, also 

 scratch themselves. Their movements on land show that 

 they are but little adapted for long journeys out of water. 

 Their burrows may always be noticed to be just below or on 

 a level with the surface of the river. One curious point here 

 is that the web of front paws is doubled into the palm, the 

 claws projecting, and leaving as they move their mark ; with 

 these they burrow, rapidly turning over earth and stones. 

 They soon become very tame in captivity ; in a few days the 

 young ones appeared to recognise a call, swimming rapidly 

 to the hand paddling the water ; and it is curious to see their 

 attempts to procure a worm enclosed in the hand, which they 

 greedily take when offered to them. I have noticed that 

 they appear to be able to smell whether or not a worm is 

 contained in the closed hand to which they swim, for they 

 desisted from their efforts if an empty fist was offered. 

 Although so tame, they repulse any handling, especially on 

 touching the bill or tail ; not so, however, with the side, 

 which they appear to like scratched, turning over, and 

 coming back several times to have the operation repeated. 

 The old ones, however, kept at a distance and refused ail 

 overtures. They soon become dry on leaving the water. 

 Their habit is almost immediately to coil up on their side, 

 the bill being placed to inner side of the tail, or rolled up like 

 a ball, with the bill beneath the tip of the tail, similar to 

 the Tasmanian porcupine, or English hedgehog. The colder 

 the weather the more inert they are, and at times I found it 

 difficult to get them to leave their warm box, which they 

 always made for on leaving the water. The spurs found 

 alone in the hind legs of the males are hollow, communicat- 

 ing at their base with the duct passing through the muscles 

 of the thigh to a gland situated superficially in each lumbar 

 region. The secretion ejected through this spur has some 

 important office. We have read the virulent action of this 

 secretion in the case of Mr. Simson (related by the Eev. Mr. 

 Spicer to this Society), and from reliable information one at 

 least of its important offices has been found out. It is well 

 known that about the breeding season the male has 

 frequently been caught with j^atches of recent ulceration, 

 also cicatrices of old wounds about the body, rendering some 

 of their skins valueless. This condition is brought about, I 



