ORNITHORHYNCHUS PARADOXUS. 31? 



the same. The natives, too, never seem fearful of 

 handling the male Qrnithorhynchm alive. 



On the morning of the 7th of October, Mr. G. 

 Bennett proceeded, in company with a native, to the 

 banks of the river to see the burrow of an Ornithor- 

 hynchus, from which the natives had taken the young 

 during the previous summer. The burrow was 

 situated on a steep part of the bank ; and its entrance, 

 concealed among the long grass and other plants, 

 was distant rather more than a foot from the water's 

 edge. Its whole extent was not laid open, the 

 natives contenting themselves with digging down 

 upon it at stated distances, their operations being 

 guided by the introduction into the burrow of a stick 

 which indicated its direction. It took a serpentine 

 course, and measured about twenty feet in length : 

 the termination was broader than any other part, 

 nearly oval in form, and strewed with dry river- 

 weeds, &c. From this nest the native stated that 

 he had taken in the previous season (December) 

 three young ones, about six or eight inches in length 

 and covered with hair. In addition to the entrance 

 above spoken of, the burrows have usually a second 

 below the surface of the water, communicating with 

 the interior just within the upper aperture. After 

 exhibiting this burrow, the native proceeded to ex- 

 plain the means employed in tracking the Mallan- 

 gongs. He pointed out on the moist clay of the 

 banks foot-marks leading to a burrow, from the 

 bottom of which, on inserting his arm, he drew forth 



