139 



ORNITHORHYNCHUS. 



ORNITHORHYHNCHUS. 



130 



the small coherent masses to form new groups; the corresponding 

 globules of the cow's milk were of larger size. With the milk 

 globules of the Ornithorhynchus minute transparent globules of oil 

 were intermixed. So far the experiment may be considered to have 

 been decisive ; but to prevent the possibility of doubt, Professor Owen 

 took a little mucus, and added a drop of water to it, when it instantly 

 became opaque ; and its minutest divisions under the microscope 

 were into transparent angular flakes, entirely different from the 

 regularly-formed granules of the milk of the Ornithorhynchia. 



The circumstances particularly worthy of attention in these young 

 animals are the total absence of hair, the soft and flexible condition 

 of the mandibles, and the shortness of these parts in proportion to 

 their breadth as compared with the adult, as Professor Owen pointed 

 out. The tongue, which in the adult is lodged far back in the mouth, 

 advances in the young animal close to the end of the lower mandible, 

 and its breadth is only one line less in an individual four inches in 

 length than it is in fully grown animals; a disproportionate develop- 

 ment which is plainly indicative, as Professor Owen remarks, of the 

 importance of the organ to the young Ornithor/iynchut, both in 

 receiving and swallowing its food. 



With regard to their food and habits, Lieutenant llaule says he fed 

 the female which he kept in captivity on worms and bread and milk. 

 Mr. G. Bennett, in his paper ' On the History and Habits of the 

 Ornithorb ynchus Paradoxus ' (' ZooL Trans.,' vol. i.), gives the follow- 

 ing account of tone when feeding, which he had secured by a cord 

 fastened to the hind' leg: "It was exceedingly lively, swam in the 

 centre of the stream, and appeared in excellent health and spirits. 

 The water at one part of the river being very clear, I saw its motions 

 distinctly under the water. On diving, it sank speedily to the bottom, 

 swam there for a short distance, and then rose again to the surface ; 

 it ranged the banks, guiding itself in its progress according to the 

 impressions received by the mandibles, which appeared to me to be 

 used by it as very delicate organs of touch. It seemed to feed well ; 

 for whenever it inserted its beak into the mud, it evidently procured 

 some food from thence, as, on raising the head, after withdrawing the 

 beak, the mandibles were seen in lateral motion, as is usual when the 

 animal masticates. Although several insects were basking and flutter- 

 ing about the surface of the water, close to it, no attempt was made 

 to capture them, either from its not seeing them, or from its preferring 

 the food which the mud afforded. The motions of the mandibles in 

 this animal, when seeking its food in the mud and water, are the 

 same as those of a duck when feeding in similar situations. After 

 feeding, it would lie sometimes on the grassy bank, and at others 

 partly in and partly out of the water, combing and cleaning its coat 

 as usual with the claws of the hind feet. After permitting it to swim, 

 feed, and clean itself for an hour, it was replaced, although with great 

 reluctance on its own part, in its box ; it did not however, as before, 

 betake itself to repose, but commenced and continued a scratching on 

 the sides of the box." The same author states that these animals 

 feed on the minute Tatacea which may be found about the water- 

 plants and in rivers. On examining the cheek-pouches or the stomachs 

 of these animals, he always observed the food to consist of river 

 insects, very small shell-fish, &c., which were constantly found com- 

 minuted and mingled with mud or gravel, probably to aid digestion. 

 Biver weeds have also been found in their pouches, and the natives 

 say they feed on them also. In the Museum of the Koyal College of 

 Surgeons are preserved the debris of insects belonging to a genus of 

 the Nauceridce, which were found in the cheek-pouches of an Ornitho- 

 rhynchut. (' Physiological Series,' No. 541, B.) We owe to Mr. G. 

 Bennett, who has contributed so much to our knowledge of the natural 

 history of this and other scarce animals, a description of the burrows 

 of these extraordinary creatures. They were traced up a bank of a 

 river, where, amongst some long grass, the entrance of a burrow was 

 discovered, and the internal construction of it was laid open by digging. 

 The entrance was large, particularly when compared with the width 

 of the passage continued from it, measuring 1 foot 3 inches in depth, 

 and 1 foot 1 inch in breadth. As it receded from the entrance, the 

 burrow became narrower, being about the usual breadth of the animal 

 when uncontracted. " After having traced it," continues Mr. Bennett, 

 " for the distance of 10 feet 4 inches, and having just delved down 

 upon it so as to perceive it still continuing its course up the bank, the 

 beak and head of a Water Mule were seen protruding for an instant 

 from the upper part, as if it had been disturbed from its repose, and 

 had come down to see what we were about with its habitation. It 

 only remained for an instant; for, as soon as it beheld us, ... it 

 immediately turned up to take refuge in that part of the burrow 

 which yet remained unexplored. In turning round however it was 

 seized by the hind leg and dragged out. The animal appeared very 

 much alarmed when it was hauled out of its subterraneous dwelling ; 

 it discharged its urine (which had rather a strong odour) and its 

 faeces, when first caught, which I attributed to fear, for this is not 

 usual with other living specimens that I have since seen. It uttered 

 no sound, nor did it attempt to bite ; and proved to be a full-grown 

 female. When I held the unfortunate Platyput in my hands, its bright 

 little eyes glistened, and the orifices of the ears were expanded and 

 contracted alternately, as if eager to catch the slightest sound, while 

 its heart palpitated violently with fear and anxiety. . . . This animal 

 uttered, when disturbed from iU sleep, a noise something like the 



HAT. HMT. MV. YOU IV. 



Ornithorhynchia feeding. (Bennett, ' Trans. Zool. Soc. 1 ) 



' ' . ',<; 



' 





Ornithorhynchut sleeping. (Bennett.) 







Ornithorhynchia combing iUelf with its claws. (Bennett.) 



growl of a puppy, but perhaps in a softer and more harmonious key. 

 Although quiet for the greatest part of the day, it made efforts to 

 escape, and uttered a growling noise during the night." But we must 

 return to the burrow, the distance of the entrance of which from the 



