230 MR. G. BENNETT ON THE HISTORY AND HABITS OF 
of the characters of the Oéter, the Mole, and the Beaver. It is covered by a fine long and 
thick hair, underneath which is a finer short very soft fur, resembling the two distinct 
kinds of fur found in the Seal and Otter. On the abdomen, breast, and throat, the fur and 
hair are of a much finer quality, and of a more silky nature, than on the other parts of 
the body of the animal. In young specimens the under surface of the tail, as well as 
the hind and fore legs near the feet, is covered by a fine hair of a beautiful silvery white 
appearance: this is lost, however, in the adult, in which the under surface of the tail 
is almost entirely destitute of hair'. Whether this proceeds from its trailing along the 
ground (which the close approximation of the abdomen and under surface of the tail to 
the ground in all the movements of the animal on land makes very probable,) I know 
not; but the most prevailing opinion among the colonists, for which, however, in the 
observation of their habits, I could not discover any foundation in fact, was that it was 
occasioned by the animals using the tail, in a manner similar to that which was for- 
merly believed of the Beaver, as a trowel in the construction of its dwelling. The tail 
is flat, broad, and inclining on each side abruptly off at the termination, beyond which 
the long hairs project: on its upper surface the hair is longer and coarser than on any 
other part of the body; it is destitute of that peculiar glossy appearance which adds 
so much to the beauty of the fur generally, and is also of a darker colour. The colour 
of the fur of the animal in all the specimens I have seen, of whatever age, is a light black, 
varying in shades according as it is seen in a stronger or weaker light: the under 
short fur is greyish. The whole of the under surface of the body is of a ferruginous 
colour, varying in its intensity according to the age of the specimen?. I do not regard 
this difference as any distinguishing mark of sex, as was at first supposed. Imme- 
diately below the inner angle of the eye is a small spot of a light or pale yellow 
colour. This I have remarked in all the specimens of either sex that I have seen, ex- 
cepting in one which was captured on the banks of the Wollondilly River near Goulburn 
Plains, in which these marks were deficient, although it did not differ in other external 
appearances from the specimens I had before examined. 
The only external difference of sex to be accurately distinguished, and indeed the 
only one on which any dependence can be placed, is the spur or claw on the hind leg 
of the males ; the females being destitute of that appendage. 
The legs of these animals are very short ; the feet are pentadactyle and webbed. In 
the fore feet (which seem to have the greatest muscular power, and are in principal use 
both for burrowing and swimming,) the web extends a short distance beyond the claws, 
is loose, and falls back when the animal burrows: the fore feet are thus capable of 
' The under surface of the tail, both in males and females, is sometimes bare; and sometimes has only a 
few coarse hairs scattered over it. 
* I have heard that an Albino specimen of this animal was once seen; it was stated to have been close to 
the water’s edge at the time it was noticed, and to have been perfectly white. On the approach of the person 
who observed it, it dived, and although watched did not reappear. 
oe. 
