THE PLATYPUS. 



claws, longer, and more inclining to a curved 

 form than those on the fore-feet ; the exterior 

 toe and claw are considerably shorter than the 

 four middle ones ; the interior or sixth is seated 

 much higher up than the rest, and resembles a 

 strong sharp spur. All the legs are hairy above j 

 the fore-feet are naked both above and below ; 

 but the hind-feet are hairy above, and naked be- 

 low. The internal edges of the under mandible, 

 (which is narrower than the upper), are serrated 

 or channelled with numerous striae, as in a duck's 

 bill. The nostrils are small and round, and are 

 situated about a quarter of an inch from the tip 

 of the bill, and are about the eighth of an inch 

 distant from each other. There is no appearance 

 of teeth ; the palate is removed, but seems to 

 have resembled that of a duck ; the tongue also 

 is wanting in the specimen. The ears, or audi- 

 tory foramina, are placed about an inch beyond 

 the eyes ; they appear like a pair of oval holes, 

 of the eighth of an inch in diameter, there being 

 no external ear. On the upper part of the head, 

 on each side, a little beyond the beak, are situated 

 two smallish oval white spots, in the lower part 

 of each of which are imbedded the eyes, or at 

 least the parts allotted to the animal for some 

 kind of vision ; for, from the thickness of the 

 fur, and the smallness of the organs, they seem 

 to have been but obscurely calculated for distinct 

 vision ; and are probably like those of moles, and 

 some other animals of that tribe, or perhaps even 

 subcutaneous, the whole apparent diameter of the 



