DUC^-BILL. 665 



the armadillo ; since to the shape of the head of the former it 

 joins the teeth of the latter. It would be necessary to know par- 

 ticulars of which a skeleton cannot inform us, such as the nature 

 of the teguments, the form of the tongue, the portion of the 

 mammas, &c. in order to determine to which of these it approached 

 the most. 



" This adds to the numerous facts which apprise us that the 

 animals of the ancient world were all different from those we now 

 see on the earth ; for it is scarcely probable that if this animal 

 still existed, so remarkable a species would have hitherto escaped 

 the researches of the naturalists. It is also a new and very strong 

 proof of the invincible laws of the subordination of characters, 

 and the justness of the consequences thereon deduced for the 

 classification of organized bodies : and under both these views it 

 is on* 4 of the most valuable discoveries which have for a long time 

 been made in natural history. 5 [Pantologia, 



section Vt. 



Duck. Bill. 



Platypus anatinus. Shaw. 



This singular quadruped forms one of the wonders of Australa. 

 sia : and we shall take our account of him from Dr. Shaw's spirited 

 and accurate description. 



Of all the mammalia, says he, yet known, it seems the most 

 extraordinary in its conformation ; exhibiting the oerfect resem- 

 blance of the beak of a duck, engrafted on the head of a quad- 

 ruped. So accurate is the similitude, that at first view it naturally 

 excites the idea of some deceptive preparation by artificial means : 

 the very epidermis, proportion, serratures, manner of opening, and 

 other particulars of the beak of a shoveller, or other broad.billed 

 species of duck, presenting themselves to the view : nor is it with- 

 out the most minute and rigid examination that we can persuade 

 ourselves of its being the real beak or snout of a quadruped. 



The body is depressed, and has some resemblance to that of 

 an otter in miniature : it is covered with a very thick, soft, and 

 beaver. like fur, and is of a moderately dark brovn above, and of 

 a subferruginous white beneath. The head is flaHsh, and rather 

 small than large ; the mouth, or snout, as oelore observed, so 

 exactly resembles that of some broad-billed species of duck, that 



