163 



tion as of a severe bruise. From this time there was a slow 

 but gradual improvement." 



As regards the improvement, I have a letter from Mr. 

 Simson, a portion of which I will read: — 



"You have heard through Stephens of my Platypus adven- 

 ture, no doubt ; it is a pity he got away after the mischief he 

 did. * * * I clid not know before that they were capable 

 of hurting one. Coomljcs says, that according to Kreflft, 

 their spurs are tubes, and that there is a poison-bag at their 

 base; others also tell me they are hollow. Can you hunt it up 

 and see if it is true ? There must be some kind of poison in 

 them, I fancy, as, though the wounds healed up quickly, I 

 still have a queer feeling in the hand and fore-arm, and can- 

 not bear any pressure on the hand ; the flesh, especially in the 

 morning when I wash, feels as if it were with the skin grazed 

 off, quite sore, and the hand is still rather cramped, and 

 incapable of grasping anythiug, though I can use the fingers 

 now again. The foregoing sensations extended right up the 

 arm at first, which was everywhere tender to the touch, and 

 all the joints and bones of the fingers also. Some natives 

 tell me they would rather lay hold of a snake than a Platypus." 



I may mention, that on Mr. Stephens attempting to seize 

 the animal, it attacked him in a similar manner ; fortunately 

 his hand was protected by a glove, and the spurs only left a 

 deep indentation, without piercing the covering. He says : — 

 " The mode of attack is not by sci-atching, but (as I know 

 from experience) by a powerful lateral and inward movement 

 of the hind legs, the spurs being thus brought together like 

 the points of a pair of callipers. 



It is worth noticing, that the animal was in a state of con- 

 siderable irritation when re-captured ; and also that the 

 object of his attack was a sti'ong man, in the prime of life, and 

 in perfect health." 



Now, in regard to the wound received by Mr. Simson, 

 to what are we to attribute the painful consequences which 

 ensued? Are they due to the action of poison, or to the 

 laceration of the nerves, or to some other cause ? 



Having no practical acquaintance myself with Platypi and 

 their habits, I have looked up whatever works were within my 

 reach bearing on the subject ; and the results I will lay before 

 you. 



There is no doubt, that the spur is not a solid, but a hollow 

 body, or rather it is a sharp-pointed cone of considerable sub- 

 stance, traversed by a very fine tube, which communicates by 

 a canal with a comparatively large spongy gland situated, not 

 immediately behind it, but some distance up the thigh. 



This is plain from the dissections made by Professor Owen. 



