254 MR. G. BENNETT ON THE HISTORY AND HABITS OF 
and female, of the dimensions of ten inches from the extremity of the beak to that of the 
tail. They had a most beautifully sleek and delicate appearance, and seemed never to 
have left the burrow. The nest, if it may be so termed, consisted of dry river-weeds, 
the epidermis of reeds, and small dry fibrous roots, all strewed over the floor of the 
cavity, which was of sufficient size to contain the mother and her young. The animal, 
it may here be observed, has from one to four young ones at a time, but the most usual 
number is two. 
When awakened and placed on the ground they moved about, but did not make such 
wild attempts to escape as we had observed in the old ones when caught. It was 
rather a subject of surprise to us that we had not captured the old one, or at all events 
noticed its escape ; but not long after the blacks captured a female on the bank not far 
distant from the burrow, which was no doubt the mother of the young which we had just 
before taken. The old specimen was in a ragged and wretchedly poor condition ; her fur 
was rubbed in several places ; the hind claws were also rubbed and wounded ; and she 
seemed to be in a very weak state. The milk that could be expressed from the glands 
was but trifling in quantity; and in the mother of these young animals such would 
have been expected to be the case, for they appeared fully capable of feeding upon a 
more substantial diet. This old specimen died at Mittagong, on my way to Sidney, on 
the Ist of January 1833. On dissection, the mammary glands were found diminished 
in size ; and on cutting into them, but a very trifling secretion of milk was perceived. 
The uteri were very small, having merely the small slender tube-like appearance which 
I have had occasion to mention in the dissection of other female specimens. 
In the young animals the beak above was of a similar colour to the same organ in 
the old specimens ; but on its under surface the colour was a beautiful delicate pink, in 
consequence of the minute blood-vessels being distinctly visible through the delicate 
epidermis. The legs close to the feet were fringed with fine silvery hairs, and the whole 
of the fur on the back, although of a more delicate nature, was similar in colour to that 
of older specimens ; but the ferruginous hue of the whole extent of the under part of the 
chest and abdomen had a lighter tinge, dependent probably on the age of the animal. 
The eyes of the aborigines, both young and old, glistened, and their mouths watered, 
when they saw the fine condition of the young Mallangongs. The exclamations of 
‘*Cobbong fat” (large, or very fat), and ‘‘ Murry budgeree patta” (very good to eat), be- 
came so frequent and so earnest, that I began to tremble for the safety of my destined 
favourites ; and having given them in charge to the natives to convey to Mr. Bradley’s 
dwelling, I turned and rode back more than once, from a fear lest they should be all 
devoured. But I was wrong in my calculation on the natives’ power of resisting temp- 
tation, for they brought them all home safe, and were delighted with the reward of 
tobacco which was given them for their trouble!. 
1 The natives said that these animals were more than eight moons old; if this can be depended on as cor- 
rect, they must have been the young of the previous season. 
