248 MR. G. BENNETT ON THE HISTORY AND HABITS OF 
winter season. The accompanying sketch of the burrow and locality conveys some idea 
of their appearance as well as situation. 


























On my return, after an absence of two days at the Murrumbidgee, I found my living 
specimen well, it having been kept confined during that time in the cask, which formed 
a very safe prison. I had now determined to leave this part of the country for Sidney, 
to forward to England the preparations of the animal which I had already made; and 
believing that this specimen, if it survived the journey, and proved to have been im- 
pregnated, would determine whether the animal was or was not ovoviviparous, on 
the 13th of October I took my departure, carrying it with me in a small box, with 
grass, &c., which was covered by battens, having very narrow spaces left between. 
On disturbing it, it being at the time asleep, to place it in the travelling-box, it 
uttered several savage growls. It arrived safely on the 14th at Lansdown Park, 
the estate of Mr. Bradley. Here I availed myself of the vicinity of some ponds, (also 
inhabited by these animals,) to give it a little recreation. On opening the box it 
was lying in a corner, contracted into a very small compass, and fast asleep. I 
tied a very long cord to its hind leg, and roused it, in return for which I received 
numerous growls. When placed on the bank it soon found the way into the water, and 
travelled up the stream, apparently delighting in those places which most abounded in 
aquatic weeds. Although it would dive in the deep water, it appeared to prefer 
keeping close to the bank, occasionally thrusting its beak (with a motion similar to 
that of the Duck when it feeds) among the mud and at the roots of the various weeds 
lining the margin of the ponds, and which we may readily suppose to be the resort of 
insects. After it had wandered some distance up the chain of ponds, feeding about the 
i 
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