﻿THE DUCK-BILLS. 231 



naked and devoid of pads. Three pairs of many-cusped molar- 

 teeth in each jaw, of which the foremost is the smallest in the 

 upper, and the hindmost in the lower jaw ; these teeth disap- 

 pearing in the adolescent animal, and their place taken in the 

 adult by hard horny plates. Horny spur on hind foot of male 

 very large. Hemispheres of the brain smooth. 



The single genus and species by which the family is now 

 represented is confined to Australia and Tasmania. 



THE DUCK-BILLS. GENUS ORNITHORHYNCHUS. 



Ortiithorhyrichics, Blumenbach, Voigt's Mag. Naturkunde, 

 vol. ii., p. 205 (iSoo). 



Form elongate and depressed ; each foot with five toes, 

 severally furnished with long claws, these on the fore feet 

 being broad and blunt, while those of the hinder pair are 

 compressed and pointed. Beak smooth, short, and evenly 

 rounded, its junction with the head, both above and below, 

 defined by a flap of skin ; cheeks furnished with pouches. 



THE DUCK-BILL. ORNITHORHYNCHUS ANATINUS. 



Platypus anatifius, Shaw, Natur. Miscell., vol. x.,pl. 385 (1799). 



Orjiithorhyjichiis paradoxus^ Blumenbach, Voigt's Mag. Natur- 

 kunde, vol. ii., p. 205 (1800). 



Ornithorhynchus rufus, et O. fiiscus, Peron and Lesueur, Voyage 

 Terres, Austral., atlas, pi. xxxiv. (1807). 



Ornithorhynchus brevirostris, Ogilby, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1831, 

 p. 150. 



Ornithorhyjichus crispus, et O. IcEvis, Macgillivray, Mem. Wern. 

 Soc, vol. vi., pp. 128, 132 (1832). 



Ornithorhynchus anatimcs^ Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus., 

 p. 191 (1843); Thomas, Cat. Marsup. and Monotr. Brit, 

 Mus., p. 388 (1888). 



[Plate XXXVII.) 



