THE PLATYPUS. 367 



as by the writer above referred to. He procured, indeed, with 

 considerable trouble, several living specimens, at different 

 times, with a hope of being able to bring them to England. 

 a hope which was always frustrated. On one occasion, 

 having opened a burrow to the extent of upwards of ten feet, 

 (its course still continuing up the bank,) he captured one of 

 these creatures, which, disturbed from its repose, had ventured 

 to leave its nest at the extremity of the burrow, in order to 

 reconnoitre the cause of the tumult. "When," says Mr. Ben- 

 net, "I held the unfortunate Platypus (Ornithorhynchus) in 

 my hands, its bright little eyes glistened, and the orifices of 

 its ears were expanded and contracted alternately, as if eager 

 to catch the slightest sound, while its heart palpitated vio- 

 lentiy with fear and anxiety." It soon, however, became 

 more reconciled to its situation, and " was placed in a cask 

 with grass, mud taken from the river, and water, and every- 

 thing that could make it comfortable under existing circum- 

 stances." At first it endeavored by scratching to get out, but 

 soon became tranquil, contracted itself into a small compass, 

 and sank to sleep. In the night it was again restless, but 

 was asleep in the morning, " the tail being turned inwards, 

 the head and beak under the breast, and the body contracted 

 into a very small compass." This seemed its usual position 

 during sleep ; sometimes, however, the beak protruded. When 

 disturbed, it uttered a low, soft growl, not unlike that of a 

 puppy ; this noise also accompanied its exertions to escape. 



The burrow from which this individual was taken "ran up 

 the bank in a serpentine course, approaching nearer the sur- 

 face of the earth towards its termination, at which part the 

 nest is situated. This is sufficiently large to accommodate 

 the old animal and its young. No nest had yet been made 

 in the termination of this burrow, for that appears to be form- 

 ed about the time of bringing forth the young, and consists 

 merely of dried grass, weeds, &c., strewed over the floor of 

 this part of the habitation. The whole extent of the burrow, 

 from the entrance to the termination, I found by actual mea- 

 surement to be twenty feet." Yet no heaps of earth near the 



