146 



that burrows have been observed of even fifty feet in length. It \vas 

 found to contain two young specimens, of the dimensions of 10 inches 

 from the beak to the extremity of the tail. The nešt consisted of dry 

 river-weeds, the epidermis of reeds, and small dry fibrous roots, 

 strewed over the floor of the terminai cavity. An old female was 

 captured soon after on the banks of the river, in a ragged and 

 ■vvretched condition, wliich was conjectured to be the mother. But 

 little milk could be pressed from her abdominal glands, as might have 

 been expected in the parent of such \vell-grown young ones. She 

 died at Mittagong, on the Ist of January, but the young ones sur- 

 vived until some time after their arrival in Sidney. 



Mr. G. Bennett proceeds to describe in detail their habits in a 

 statė of captinty. Their various attitudes, when in a statė of re- 

 pose, are strikingly curious, and \vere illustrated by the exhibition 

 of sketches made from the life. The young were allowed to run 

 about the room ; but the old one was so restless, and damaged the 

 walls of the room so rauch by her attempts at buiT0wing, that it \vas 

 found necessary to eonfine her to the box. During the day she would 

 remain quiet, huddled up \vith her young ones ; but at night she 

 became very restless, and eager to escape. The little ones ■^'ere 

 as frolicsome as puppies, and apparently as fond of play : and many 

 of their actions \vere not a little ludicrous. During the day they 

 seemed to prefer a dark corner for repose, and generally resorted to 

 the spot to \vhich they liad been accustomed, although they \vould 

 change it on a sudden apparently from mere caprice. They did not 

 appear to likę deep water, but enjoyed exceedingly a bathe in shal- 

 low -vv'ater, with a turf of grass placed in one corner of the pan : 

 they seldom remained longer than ten or fifteen minutes in the water 

 at one time. Though apparently nocturnal, or at least preferring 

 the cool and dusky evening to the glare and heat of noon, their 

 movements in this respect were so irregular as to furnish no grounds 

 for a definite conclusion. They slėpt much, and it freąuently hap- 

 pened that one slėpt \vhile the other \vas running about, and this 

 occurred at almost all periods of the day. They climbed \vith great 

 readiness to the summit of a bookcase, placing their backs against 

 the wall and their feet against the bookcase ; and thus, by means of 

 their strong cutaneous museles and of their clavvs, mounting witli 

 much expedition to the top. Their food consisted of bread soaked 

 in water, chopped egg, and meat minced very small ; and they did 

 not seem to prefer milk to water. One of the young ones died on 

 the 29th of January 1833, and the other on the 2nd of Februarj', 

 baving been kept alive in captivity for nearly five weeks. 



