202 MONOTRKMATOU8 WATER TRESPASSERS. 



structure which enables it to transfer them quickly to 

 a temporary receptacle, whence they may be extracted 

 and masticated whilst the animal is floating on the 

 surface of the water, or at rest in its burrow/ 



" These animals have horny teeth on the toDgue. 

 On the back part of this organ there is a bulb, which 

 serves to prevent the passage of food collected in the 

 mouth, together with the water, into the gullet, and 

 to direct the former into the temporary receptacles, 

 the cheek pouches, which have an opening on each 

 side, at the back part of the mouth. 



" In these I have found the food well comminuted, 

 mingled with fine gravel, of the consistence of mud ; 

 the food being composed of debris of insects and 

 small shell-fish, with mud and gravel to aid digestion. 

 I have also found the whole length of the alimentary 

 canal filled with mud or sand, together with fragments 

 of food ." 



I may here mention that the peculiar shape of the 

 head is obtained by the development of certain bones. 

 The upper jaw is formed from the intermaxillary bones, 

 which are lengthened, flattened, and turned inwards 

 at the ends ; while a similar development of the bones 

 of the lower jaw constitutes the lower mandible. In 

 the stuffed and dried specimen, the shape of these 

 bones can easily be traced through the dried skin. 

 When the skeleton is freed from the soft portions, 

 the aspect of the head is even more remarkable than 

 in the living animal, and has quite a grotesque 

 appearance about it. 



Dr. Bennett mentions that his Duckbills never 

 looked so absurd as when they yawned. When they 



