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THE ORNITHORHYNCHUS PARADOXUS. 241 
tinued rains ; but although exposed to heavy drenching showers, we again visited the 
river. <A few of the Duckbills were to be seen occasionally, but none at this time 
within shot, until about 2 p.m., when a male specimen was shot ; the under mandible 
and flap, and the web of the fore feet, were mottled as in the last specimen. On the 
lower part of the spur two small leeches were attached, one of which was red and 
swollen with the blood it had sucked from the animal ; the other appeared to have just 
attached itself. The undistended one was <ths of an inch in length, and of a dull black 
colour. I may here remark that I could not discover any parasites among the short 
thick fur of any of these animals. 
When shot, this specimen was borne down by the rapidity of the stream of the river, 
the current having been much increased by its swollen state. The animal, however, was 
readily brought out by the expertness of a small spaniel dog (which seemed to enter 
into the delight of the sport as much as ourselves), and after a few convulsive sighs 
expired. 
The testes in the first male specimen I examined were large, being nearly the size of 
a pigeon’s egg, and were situated near the kidneys. The penis is concealed in a sheath 
near the verge of the anus, so that unless pressure is made near the sheath, which 
occasions the penis to be thrust out, that organ is not visible; and there is conse- 
quently no external distinguishing mark of the difference of sex in these animals, ex- 
cepting the spur on the hind feet of the males. In the last male specimen shot the 
testes were not larger than a very small pea. Does the difference of size depend on the 
breeding-season ? or rather, How is the difference at the same season of the year to be 
explained? In a male specimen shot at the Murrumbidgee the testes were also not 
larger than very small peas. Thus out of three males the testes were only found large 
in the specimen shot on the 5th of October. 
At 5 p.m. of the evening of the same day (6th of October) another female specimen 
was shot ; on being brought out of the water it merely gave a few convulsive motions 
of the hind feet before it expired. 
Another specimen was soon afterwards seen, a short distance lower down the river, 
dabbling on the surface of the stream in apparent enjoyment of the cool evening. One 
discharge laid it motionless on the surface of the water, and the dog immediately 
brought it out. This proved, much to my satisfaction, to be another female. At 
first it lay quite motionless as if dead; but soon after, on the way home, it showed 
symptoms of vitality, and on placing it on the ground, it walked with tolerable rapidity 
instinctively towards the river. This specimen died, however, soon after it was taken 
home. 
On examining the first specimen that had been shot this evening, I found the uteri 
enlarged, more particularly that of the left side, above which a distinct cluster of ova 
were seen as in the former specimen; they were covered by a delicate membrane!. 
1 This is the expanded end of the Fallopian tube. 
